Summer holiday fun for all the family at Poplar

Looking for ideas and inspiration to keep the children entertained during summer holidays, then Poplar is the place to visit where the whole family can enjoy train rides on our miniature railway. Children can complete our Poplar Bug Hunt Trail throughout the holidays and look out also for our twice weekly drop-in summer craft activity sessions. Stop by our restaurant and enjoy our delicious home cooked food, visit our Food Hall for culinary inspiration and don't forget to have a look at our plants while you are here!

Poplar's Bug Hunt Trail:

19th July - 31st August 2025

Pick up your Bug Hunt Trail sheet. Search around the outside area to find the clues and answer the questions. Bring your completed sheet to the main tills to pay and claim your prize.

£1 per child. No booking required.

All proceeds to charity.

Children's Summer Craft Activity Sessions:

We will also be running drop-in craft activities twice a week during the school summer holidays from 10am to 2pm on the dates below in our cottage.

22nd July - Paperplate Jellyfish

24th July - Flower Pots

29th July - Rainbow Art

31st July - Hot Air Balloons

5th August - Suncatcher Workshop

7th August - Flower Crowns

12th August - Ice Cream Art

14th August - Floating Fish

19th August - Flower Wreath

21st August - Paperplate Butterflies

26th August - Rocket Art

28th August - Paperchain Octopus

£2 per child. No Booking required.

Poplar Miniature Railway:

A ride around our landscaped gardens on our miniature railway is always fun for the little ones. Suitable for both adults and children, the Poplar Miniature Railway is the only one of it’s kind in the area and provides those who travel with us the unique opportunity to ride on one of our miniature steam trains. (Please note that some days our diesel train is in operation.) Over the years the railway has become a firm favourite with families, opening every weekend and school holidays from February onwards. Suitable for people of all ages but especially for young children, our line runs for 350 yards from the station in front of the play area. Standard tickets are £2 for the first ride and £1 thereafter, or all day wristbands are available at £5 for unlimited rides. (Contactlesss payments accepted.)

The railway is open everyday from 10am to 4pm (Sunday 10am to 3pm), weather permitting.

Click here to visit our Poplar Miniature Railway page.

Stop for a bite to eat:

Our restaurant is the perfect place to stop and relax for a while serving breakfast, lunch as well as coffee and cake. We have ample seating inside, outside and in our conservatory which overlooks the play area, gardens and miniature railway. As well as our seasonally changing menu, we also offer a variety of Afternoon Teas including Traditional, Savoury and Children’s options. (Please note that booking is required at least 24 hours in advance for all Afternoon Teas.)

Please click here to view our restaurant pages for details of opening times and menus etc.

For the adults:

Poplar Nurseries was established in 1938 by Eric Cowan, father of Martin Cowan (now retired) and grandfather of Matthew Cowan, Managing Director. Over the years we have grown from strength to strength to create the garden centre that we are all very proud of today. Customers can wander around our plant displays to gain ideas and inspiration to take back to their own gardens, or visit our huge Outdoor Living department for garden furniture and accessories. Of course, you will also find everything else you would expect to find at a garden centre including statues, water features, all the gardening equipment you could possibly imagine, plus a Home and Gift Department with something for everyone.

Don’t miss a visit to our Poplar Food Hall where you will find delicious local and British produce and fresh home cooked dishes, meats, cheeses and much more from our deli counter.  Our 3,000 sq ft Food Hall is located next to the entrance of the main Garden Centre.

Click here to visit our Food Hall pages

Have a great summer and we hope to see you soon!