I've probably visited every garden centre the length and breadth of Nottinghamshire - not because I'm a keen gardener but because I like to peruse the homewares and visit the cafes, which invariably offer everything from a Full English to a Sunday roast and everything in between.
Many are pretty swanky and prove a real draw for visitors. But there's one garden centre in a Nottinghamshire village with a far more modest approach - somewhere I'd never heard of until this week.
Six Acres Nurseries, off Loughborough Road, at Costock, has an array of plants for sale, like any other garden centre, plus there's coffee and cakes, a small farm shop, a sprawling play area with a tractor, and farm animals. The difference is the profit from everything sold other than the plants goes to the workers, who have learning difficulties.
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They own and run the community interest company, Countryside Enterprises, which was recently crowned the Midlands' Rural Enterprise Champions in the Countryside Alliance Awards, aka the Rural Oscars. My first stop after a lengthy drive along roads with fields on either side is at the garden centre's Coffee Hatch, manned on this day by Lewis Bassett.
"How can I help you?" he asks as I check out the menu. It's short and sweet (and savoury). Hot drinks, cakes, bacon cobs, pastries, homemade soup and jacket potatoes are sold.
There's no tables inside so customers sit at picnic benches in the open air. It doesn't take long for my tea and bacon cob to come out - costing £4.50 in total, you can't complain at that.
It's not long before I'm joined by the tamest of robins who hops on the table. I'm sure he's after a bite of the generously filled cob. Apparently, the bird, named Randolph, has been known to sit on shoulders.
Customer Anne Kemp, from East Leake, tells me how she visits every fortnight for a look around the plants and to have a cup of tea with friends. "I like the inclusivity of everybody. The tea and cakes are good, too good," she says.
Next stop is Sprouts, a small farm shop where some of the produce has been grown at Countryside Enterprises' farm in Seagrave, Leicestershire, by other workers with disabilities. Other produce has been made into jars of jam and chutney, including beetroot chutney, green tomato, rhubarb and ginger, and carrot cake jam.
Handicrafts, once again the work of men and women with learning difficulties, are on sale. Amongst them are wooden chopping boards, dog bowl stands, candle holders and bird boxes - you really wouldn't know they've not been made by professionals. Knitted bobble hats, handmade greetings cards and decorative bottles with fairy lights fill the shelves.
A popular attraction, especially for young children, is the Play Patch. The big grassy expanse is not only home to a summer house, a tractor to climb on and giant tyres, it's where visitors will find a collection of adorable farm animals - and much to parents' delight it's all free although donations are welcome.
The pygmy goats are busy in their pen, while the miniature horned sheep are taking a nap. The donkeys Norman and Stanley and alpacas Meryl and Eclipse are munching at the hay manger made by the talented woodwork team.
There's just the sound of wind chimes jangling in the breeze on a quiet Thursday morning, but it's busy at the weekends, especially now it's approaching the summer season. On hot days, the tree-lined conservation area provides much-needed shade. Nearby is a pond and bird hide, encircled with a pretty array of wild flowers.
WHM Work Connections, a support service for adults with learning difficulties, provides all the staffing and facilities for Countryside Enterprises. It's the initiative of Six Acre Nurseries' owners Liz Wells and Helen Sedgwick.
Catherine Mansell, enterprise co-ordinator for Countryside Enterprises, says: "We call our service users workmates, we like that term for the guys we work with. Everything they make goes back into developing it further and they get a small profit share each month.
"They have trial days and see what they like getting involved in. The idea is they build up their skills, we offer training in a lot of areas as well. Then we would help to support them into finding paid work elsewhere or other volunteer positions to give them that independence."
The workmates in the kitchen are guided by Antoni Daniel, who says it's a hidden gem. "It's an amazing enterprise. We are in desperate need of volunteers to help at this fantastic place," he adds.
Coffee Hatch workmate Lewis, 28, also helps to care for the animals and gets involved with the gardening. "I like meeting people. I make the coffee for customers. I enjoy serving the most," he says. When he's not busy with all those different roles, he's doing an employability skills course to gain a qualification.
The cakes sold in the cafe are made by workmates at the farm in Seagrave. Lemon drizzle is a best-seller, says Lewis.
Catherine and some of the workmates went to the House of Lords to collect their award from the Countryside Alliance. She says: "It was a really nice achievement and a great recognition for all the hard work they do so we are really chuffed with that.
"Previously it was very much a plant nursery - one group of clientele would come. We didn't get many young families coming as there wasn't that much to offer but now we are seeing a lot more younger families come to enjoy that space as well. We get a lot of good feedback from people who come and look at the animals. It's rare somewhere like that is free to visit. We ask for donations where possible but it's not compulsory.
"It's a very small village. Some people travel quite far for the garden centre because it's got a good name for itself. The previous owners were here for a long time, I think even their parents ran the garden centre before them, so it had a good customer base.
"I think some were wary when we took over because we didn't have as much of a gardening background but it's been six years, a tough six years with weather and Covid, that really affected things but it's really popular. It's been a busy season so far. My job is so varied, I love it."
Before I leave I buy a bunch of pretty blue and pink cornflowers and gypsophila for £3 - another one of the Countyside Enterprises' money spinners.
The garden centre and Play Patch is open every day, and the cafe and farm shop are open Wednesday to Sunday.
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