Join us at Dobbies Atherstone on Sunday for the Christmas tree light switch on and festive fireworks display.

Heart FM breakfast presenter Ed James will be hosting the celebrations, and there will be live performances from Camphill Primary School and Bedworth Amateur Dramatic Society.

Find fun for all the family with face painting, children’s fairground rides and festive demonstrations at Dobbies Atherstone from 11am until 5pm.

Enjoy Christmas lights and fireworks at Dobbies Atherstone

For more details on the Christmas lights switch on visit the Dobbies events page or contact Dobbies Atherstone direct.

Join in the festive fun at Dobbies Melville garden centre, this Sunday.

Celebrity Amanda Hamilton will be there to switch on the Christmas lights, and a spectacular fireworks display will follow.

You can also enjoy the wide range of entertainment on offer, and help raise funds for Action for Children.

Come to the celebrity Christmas light switch on this Sunday

For more details check the Dobbies What’s On pages or contact the Dobbies Edinburgh store direct.

Dobbies Ashford was recently the scene of an impromptu ‘flashmob’ performance by a choir of eighty, raising awareness of Ashford-based children’s charity, The Caldecott Foundation.

As shoppers browsed for bargains and sipped coffee in the popular garden centre cafe, members of the Ashford Singers, mingled with the crowd.

Suddenly, the first chords of the hit song, Walking on Sunshine began to pour from the in-store sound system. Singers dotted throughout the Ashford garden centre stopped what they were doing and to the astonishment of onlookers, burst into song.

Members of the public were treated to a vibrant rendition of the chart topping number by Katrina and the Waves. Many stopped to film it or to take pictures.

You can watch this fabulous flash mob performance again below:

The Caldecott foundation celebrates its centenary this year. It staged the surprise event to increase awareness of its current campaign to raise £750,000 to create a vocational skills training unit to help the older children its care.

The choice of song was just perfect for a charity that has as its logo a ray of sunshine and the slogan, ‘giving children a brighter future.’

There’s only one thing more exciting than carving a pumpkin on Halloween – carving a pumpkin you have grown from seed on Halloween.

Children from Dobbies Little Seedlings Club did just that and grew their own pumpkins for Halloween this year.

Here are some of the winning entries:

Erica Stevenson and friend Ailidh Scarf with winning pumpkin

Southport Little Seedlings club pumpkins

Winning pumpkins from Dobbies Aberdeen

Dobbies Little Seedlings

Gardening and growing your own fruit and vegetables is a fun way of introducing curious little minds to the wonders of the natural world.

The Dobbies Little Seedlings is a free to join gardening club for children aged from 4 to 10 years old. The club takes place on a monthly basis and children can take part in fun hands-on workshops to learn about plants, wildlife and the environment.

Not only will children get to start projects that they can take home with them at our events, but for every three events that they attend they will get a certificate.

Little Seedlings events are held in all our stores on the first Sunday of every month.  Please check with your local store for exact times and dates as these can be subject to change.

November workshop

On Sunday 6th November Dobbies store will be hosting “Into the Night Garden”.
 
Come along and learn where animals sleep at night time. All children will have the chance to make their own animal habitat.

So bring the kids to the Little Seedlings workshop on Sunday to find out more about:

• Animal Habitats
• Nocturnal animals
• Hibernation
• How to make an animal habitat

Find out more by going to the Little Seedlings Club page, or contact your local Dobbies garden centre.

Dobbies staff are busy preparing for the World’s Biggest Coffee Morning at Dobbies garden centres across the UK.

Dobbies staff working up a thirst

Our farm foodhalls have been busy baking heart shaped scones, Macmillan themed cupcakes and empire biscuits especially for the event. For every one sold 5p will be donated to Macmillan.

Five pence will also be donated to Macmillan Cancer Support for every hot drink sold tomorrow, at any one of the 30 Dobbies restaurants throughout the UK.

And as if that wasn’t enough, you can also contribute by giving a donation and guessing the weight of a specially-baked cake from the Dobbies bakery.

If you want to get involved and help raise money for a very worthwhile charity, all you have to do is join us at your nearest Dobbies store for what is set to be the World’s Biggest Coffee Morning.

Dobbies Garden World in Liverpool is now open.

Men were banned from the toilets on the first day to allow female customers to get the first peek of the new flamboyant, flower-shaped urinals. In keeping with Dobbies’ mission to inspire gardeners with new ideas, the funky new toilets come in the shape of wildflowers including a Nettle Laced Bellflower, Water Avens and Bladder Campion

Dobbies Liverpool general manager, Ian McCavish said of the quirky loos: “They have created an interesting talking point already! We’ve had queues outside the doors forming mostly from our female staff members trying to sneak a peek, so we thought we should have a girl’s preview to allow our female customers to have a good look first.”

And it’s not just the men who are being treated to flowery designs as hand basins shaped like flowers have also been specially created for the ladies’ toilets at the state-of-the-art new store.

New store opens
With building recently completed, 120 new staff fully trained and the funky loos in place, the £8m Dobbies Garden World in Liverpool was officially opened today by local pupil Anna Robinson, age 9, from Bishop Martin C.E Primary School. Anna won the chance to cut the floral ribbon to open the centre in an eco-garden design competition recently run by Dobbies in the local area.

Anna was joined by local model Hayley Carvell and celebrity gardener Chris Beardshaw in welcoming the first customers to the £8m Garden World. Chris also led planting demonstrations and hosted a Gardener’s Question Time at the store to help any customers with their growing endeavours.

Growth at Dobbies
And it’s not just the customer’s plants that are growing so well as Dobbies Garden World Liverpool is part of a strong period of growth for Dobbies too. Several new stores have opened in the last year with more yet to come as Dobbies seeks to create a new generation of garden centres across the UK that are as green as the gardening lifestyles they aim to supply.

The 50,000sq ft centre in Liverpool was built using sustainably sourced materials with energy efficiency catered for throughout in order to help reduce its impact on the environment. The new store also features a 350-seater restaurant and Farm Foodhall, specialising in locally-sourced products.

Maria Eagle, MP for south Liverpool said: ”I very much welcome the opening of the new Dobbies Garden Centre here in Speke. Dobbies has invested £8m in our city and they’ve created 120 jobs which is great news for the south of Liverpool and my constituency.

“I wish Dobbies and their staff the very best for the future and I’m sure the new garden centre will be a great success.”

James Barnes, Dobbies chief executive, also commented on the company’s newest garden centre by saying: “We are delighted to open our newest centre in Liverpool which we believe is a concept for a new-generation of garden centres in the UK.

“The Garden World is in keeping with our provenance and heritage as expert horticulturalists since 1865 whilst providing a modern destination for today’s consumer. We’re looking forward to welcoming our first customers to Liverpool, who we hope will love Dobbies and our new-state-of-the-art centre.”

Make a visit
Now officially open, the new Dobbies Garden World will be welcoming customers over the weekend with an array of inspiring and exciting events including gardening demonstrations, face painters and a jazz Sunday lunch. So if you live in the area, come on down!

As Dobbies Garden Centres makes final arrangements to host the World’s Biggest Coffee Morning on 30th September, a 10 month old Dobbies customer with a rather unusual name, Minnie Large, was found checking out the retailer’s giant preparations.

Minnie Large & her giant teacup

On a visit to the UK’s largest restaurant at Dobbies Garden World Edinburgh, Dobbies customer Lyndsay McFarlane, found daughter, Minnie Large, crawling into a giant tea cup that arrived at the site this morning, 19th September 2011 to promote the annual event to raise funds for Macmillan Cancer Support.

Dawn Gibson, Community Champion for Dobbies said, “We are delighted to be joining forces with a host of other retailers and restaurants to support Macmillan’s World’s Biggest Coffee Morning for a third year and look forward to welcoming and encouraging customers to be part of this nationwide event to raise money for Macmillan.”

“Dobbies restaurants are popular venues for freshly baked cakes, meals and specialty tea and coffee – our restaurants are the ideal place to gather socially and support this worthy event.”

For every hot drink sold on 30th September 2011, Dobbies 30 restaurants throughout the UK will donate 5p to Macmillan Cancer Support. Customers can also contribute by giving a donation and guessing the weight of the specially-baked cake from the Dobbies bakery.

Dobbies Farm Foodhalls have also created a specially themed Macmillan range of bakery-to-go, including a heart shaped scone, Macmillan cupcake and empire biscuit. Dobbies Farm Foodhall will also donate 5p form each of these items sold to Macmillan Cancer Support.

Dobbies restaurant on the outskirts of Edinburgh, which is the largest restaurant in the UK with over 650 seats, will be leading the World’s Biggest Coffee Morning for Dobbies.

For further information about the World’s Biggest Coffee Morning at Dobbies Garden Centres, please visit www.dobbies.com.

Go green with Dobbies

The new Eco-Living Centre includes ranges to help consumers consider greener and more responsible products. From small steps such as setting up vertical gardens and taking up beekeeping; to more extensive solutions such as solar energy panels, air-source heat pumps and home insulation.

As part of creating the new department, Dobbies has partnered with EDF Energy to advise customers of the long-term solutions in helping with energy generation and control in the home. To bring these ideas to life, the Eco-living Centre features a display house to help inspire customers on how to make their own home more sustainable.

Solar paneled car port
The green approach isn’t confined to just the new department either. Peterborough’s Garden World also features a solar paneled car port generating electricity for Dobbies customers to recharge their electric vehicles for free.

Richard Jardine, sustainability manager for Dobbies Garden Centres said: “Dobbies is committed to reducing its impact on the environment and inspiring its customers to consider small steps they can take towards a greener lifestyle.

“Our customers already respond well to environmentally-responsible choices so our Eco-Living Centre is designed to give them a one-stop destination to make those choices, and hopefully inspire first-timers to do the same”.

Coming to a town near you?
The new Eco-living Centre and solar paneled car port are a part of Dobbies’ commitment to reducing its carbon footprint and hopes to inspire its customers to do the same. If the trial in Peterborough is successful, Dobbies will look to roll out the concept to some of its other 30 garden centres throughout the UK. Keep your eyes peeled for a big green Dobbies near you soon.

Visit Dobbies.com for more information on the new Dobbies garden centre Peterborough.

Dobbies Garden World Peterborough opens today

There to cut the opening ribbon was Gardener’s World presenter Chris Beardshaw, wonderfully assisted by competition winning sisters Olivia and Isabelle Ames from Newborough Primary School.

Chris Beardshaw said: “I am so pleased to see the sisters here today from Newborough Primary School – their design ideas and enthusiasm to engage with plants and the outdoor environment is heartening”.

Here we grow
The green-fingered duo from Newborough Primary won a competition to design an eco-garden, which saw them receive £500 of gardening equipment to create the winning design at their school. They will also get some help from the Dobbies plant experts in Peterborough who will be pitching in on the development of the new garden at the school.

The competition was run as part of the Dobbies ‘Here We Grow’ project, which offers free equipment, and expertise to help local groups to get growing. As Chris Beardshaw said: “Community projects such as the ‘Here we Grow’ programme are vital to bringing opportunities and support to our schools, community groups, and charities and I am really pleased to see businesses such as Dobbies investing in our gardening future.”

‘New state-of-the art centre’
Dobbies Chief Executive James Barnes lauded the new garden centre by saying: “We are delighted to open our newest centre in Peterborough, which we believe is a concept for a new-generation of garden centres in the UK.

“The Garden World is in keeping with our provenance and heritage as expert horticulturalists since 1865 whilst providing a modern destination for today’s consumer. We’re looking forward to welcoming our first customers to Peterborough, who we hope will love Dobbies and our new-state-of-the-art centre.”

Eco-living Centre
Dobbies Garden World in Peterborough will be home to the UK’s first large scale eco department that will be used to help customers reduce their carbon footprint at home and in the garden as part of living more sustainable lifestyles.

The Eco-Living Centre, as it is called, features an area developed in partnership with energy company EDF where customers can get advice on solar-panel installation and home insulation. Meanwhile, outside in the car park, the new centre is now home to a solar powered car port where customers can recharge any electric vehicles completely free of charge.

Built with natural construction materials such as a timber frame, and other renewable energy systems such as grey water recycling, Peterborough is Dobbies’ most environmentally-friendly store in England.

Opening weekend celebrations
Over the weekend customers visiting the new store will be welcomed by an array of exciting events including gardening demonstrations, face painting and a jazz Sunday lunch. If you live in the area be sure to come on down for some fun and green living inspiration at the new Dobbies Garden World at Serpentine Green.

For more information and directions to the Dobbies Peterborough garden centre use the Dobbies store locator.

An artists impression of Dobbies Peterborough

The new garden centre will sell a variety of plants, shrubs and trees from local nurseries and more exotic varieties from around the world. It will also be home to a stunning solar powered car port to charge electric vehicles.

Solar powered car port

Dobbies Peterborough will be one of the first garden centres in the country to install solar power technology. Offering customers the chance to charge up electric vehicles whilst they peruse the store.

Dobbies’ Sustainability manager, Richard Jardine, said: “The car port can generate enough electricity to power a three bedroom house for a year, and will include two electric vehicle charging posts to help our customers recharge their car when visiting our centre at Cygnet Park for free.”

The new car port is part of Dobbies’ commitment to reducing its carbon footprint, and hopes to inspire its customers to do the same.

Eco-build

As well as the car port being a great green investment, the whole centre seeks to be more sustainably built too.

The development incorporates several environmentally friendly features. These include energy efficient lights inside the building, rainwater recycling to help reduce its water use, as well as sustainably sourced wood and other natural materials in its construction.

More than just a garden centre

When Dobbies Peterborough opens it’s doors this month it will also be providing 120 new full and part-time jobs, aimed specifically at local people. Dobbies is also working with local colleges to help create more job opportunities, work experience and training.

The new facilities will house a plant information centre, gardening demonstrations, ‘grow your own’ workshops and in-store events, including talks by visiting horticultural experts.

The store will also be home to a foodhall that sells locally grown produce from the Fens as well as meals and home baking. Procurement plans for Dobbies Peterborough also hope to give the local economy a boost by sourcing as many supplies locally as possible, to go into a wide range of products across the store.

The new Dobbies Garden Centre opens in Cygnet Park, opposite the Serpentine shopping centre on Friday August 19th. To find out more visit Dobbies online or visit the store on opening day.