Create and Grow with Squire's Garden Centre

Memories of my school holidays are filled with happy times with my cousins. Special occasions and celebrations with us noisy 5, making dens, performing made up shows and carefree, barefoot days in the garden together. I love that the boys and Yasmin are growing up with that same very close bond. Yasmin is desperate to be part of the gang, she calls to them “Oh boyshsss!” and wants to join in with their more grown up games, helping with their elaborate Lego creations!  Sammy adopts a high squeaky voice when he starts talking to her, in that silly, slightly slower googly way we all can’t help ourselves but do to newborns!

They are like the three amigos, tearing around Granny’s house, every now and again all vying for her attention, and poor mum ends up with her legs being squashed with all three of them on her lap! 

I promised the boys a trip to Granny’s house during the holidays and mum lives very near to a Squire's Garden Centre. So we were delighted to be invited to try out their Easter create and grow craft activity and watch the children enjoy the mini soft play area and outdoor climbing frame. 

Mum and Yasmin are regulars to the centre and whilst the children all played with their slightly muddy hands, mum enjoyed a coffee and I whizzed round their gift section, oohing and aahing at all the lovely home ware, browsing in their farm shop feel food department, spotting the perfect mint cushion for our family room and trying to resist all the Easter decorations on sale!

They all chose their bunny planter and which colour plant they wanted and the very nice member of staff talked them through why it’s important to water your plants and how you need to be careful and gently put them into the planters. Sammy blasted her with a few other horticultural questions and then charged off to the soft play! Yasmin on the other hand was fascinated with the dirt on her hands (A Princess in the making, why would those boyshss want to be dirty!) and really took her time, after all it is quite the big decision to choose which bunny out of the identical “wabbits” to call your own, studying her flower, scooping in tiny bits of soil at a time! 

Yasmin and I had a little stroll around the plant section, stopping to sniff all the flowers and stroking every single ceramic animal ornament. I love having these little snippets of time on my own with her, to listen to her sweet tiny voice, each time I see her there are a string of new words and we always talk about coming to stay at Auntie’s house and playing with all our toys!

I’ve watched my sister’s relationship with the boys develop over the last 6 years, and how when we are all together, how interchangeable she is with me. They trust her implicitly, want to impress her and flop all over her after a busy day. And having that relationship happen with Yasmin all on it’s own is just wonderful. She becomes my little best friend for the day, sharing stories, holding hands and smooches on lips. Oh the kissing on lips phase, just melts me. 

A lovely morning together before we headed back to Granny’s for lunch and games in the garden. The sunshine has spoilt us over Easter, I hope these glorious days are here to stay!

If you are near a Squire's Garden Centre do check out their in store events, and make sure you leave some extra time for shopping, I didn’t even get near the enormous craft department! Next time! Through the May half term they will be running Create and Grow sessions from Tuesday 26th - Friday 29th May. The sessions are open from 9am - 12pm and this time the theme is all about vegetables! Your children can:

• Children can create a tasty vegetable box with pepper, lettuce and tomato plants to take home, the cost is £5
• There will also be a FREE Veggie Hunt (follow the trail of questions around the centre), and a FREE Word Search (find the names of the vegetable for your chance to win a prize)

Thank you to Squire's for inviting the children to make their Easter bunny planters.