What's the best garden Centre near me?

Call us biased, but with so much on offer, we’d like to think we’re firmly in the running. As a family-run business spanning four generations, we feel deeply connected to our local community, welcoming visitors from Sudbury, Colchester, Braintree & beyond! Whether you’re looking for high quality plants, garden furniture or artisan food, Poplar Nurseries offers something for everyone.

The Garden Centre with the Elephant Out the Front

If you’ve ever asked, “Is that the garden centre with the elephant out the front”, then you’ve probably already heard of us. While the elephant may be one of our most recognisable features, there’s so much more to discover at Poplar Nurseries. You can find out more about our Poplar elephant here.

Proudly Local

Located in Marks Tey, just outside Colchester, Poplar Nurseries has been serving local gardeners, families and visitors across Essex and Suffolk for nearly 9 decades. Yes, you read that right, we’ve been going since 1938.

Supporting our local community has always been at the heart of what we do. Matthew Cowan, our Managing Director, had the following to say:

“We’re proud of our amazing, loyal, and local team. The garden centre really wouldn’t be what it is today without the people who work here. We’re also very proud to have so many multi-generational visitors. It’s wonderful to think that Poplar attracts such a great range of people. For years to come, we hope this doesn’t change”.

Find us on Google Maps here.

Proudly Family Run

Established in 1938, Poplar Nurseries has been family run right from the start. Eric Cowan originally purchased a small piece of land just opposite our current site in Marks Tey before moving the business to its present location in 1947. Martin, his son, still spends much of his time at the garden centre, remembering the original glasshouses and rows of sweet peas fondly.

Martin officially joined the business in 1972, growing chrysanthemums,  right here on site. Due to competition from imported cut flowers, he started selling bouquets from the growing nursery’s gates, directly to the consumer and that’s where our journey into retail started! From there, we opened our doors to the public, selling bedding plants as well as supplying flowers to local councils, including Colchester. Martin said: "It has been amazing watching the business grow from just a field into the business it is today. During some summers in the 70s, putting in 100-hour weeks was not unheard of, but seeing what Poplar Nurseries has become today has made it all worthwhile."

Matthew, Martin’s youngest son, joined the business in 1998, becoming managing director in 2010. As garden centres across the country evolved into destination venues rather than simply plant stores, Poplar Nurseries continued to grow, keeping up with national trends. Today, we're proud to offer a food hall, miniature railway, gift department and much more.

Alongside Matthew, Mandy, his wife, runs the Poplar Nurseries Food Hall, with Liv, their daughter working as a supervisor on the shop floor. It really is a family affair.

When asked about how he manages to balance work life with family life, Matthew said “They definitely blur naturally as I work here with my Father, Wife and Daughter - but time away from the business is extremely important and I try to spend as much time travelling with my family as I can.”

This was a brief overview, however id you'd like to find out more, why not check out our about us page.

Visit us at Poplar Nurseries, in Marks Tey, Colchester

Whether you know us as Poplar Nurseries, the garden centre with the elephant out the front, or simply your local garden centre, we'd love to welcome you for a visit. Located in Marks Tey, just outside Colchester, Poplar Nurseries has been serving families, gardeners and visitors from across Essex and Suffolk since 1938.

From our family to yours, we look forward to welcoming you soon.

Explore the Poplar website.