Tucked away in a secluded area of Swansea, you'd be forgiven for having never heard of it. But hidden away down a long country lane in the city's Southgate area lies a vibrant business that many return to time and again after experiencing it for the first time.
Wildflower is certainly not a place you're likely to stumble upon unless you're in the know. Word of mouth, however, is travelling fast, and it is organically becoming one of the city's hidden secrets for a relaxing afternoon out. The centrepiece of the business, located down Blackhills Lane, where you will also find a golf club and course and a popular kennels and cattery, is its spacious and comfy cafe, which serves up a varied tasty menu of coffees, full breakfasts, filled rolls and jacket potatoes among its options.
But that's just the beginning of the business, which also has a garden centre featuring a wide selection of garden products, from mature shrubs, perennials and bedding, to pots, planters and gifts. There's a stunning outdoor decking seated area with a log fire to keep you warm in the winter, and there's also an opportunity to buy Christmas trees and decorations, as the festive season is officially upon us. Get Swansea stories straight to your inbox with our newsletter.
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Another side of the business is its collection of ten luxury lodges with hot tubs which sleep up to eight people and feature modern furnishings and beautiful decor, including large living room and dining areas, and two to three bedrooms, which are seriously impressive. Bookings begin from April.
The duo behind the business are Rob and Katherine Durber. Mr Durber purchased the location four years ago, primarily with the lodges business in mind. When he got there, there was the existing cafe and disused greenhouses. But things soon took on a life of their own, and Mrs Durber put her passion for gardening to good use, creating an amazing garden centre which fills a large area of the land there. They took over the running of the cafe, and they are hard at work developing the lodges. There are also plans to expand the cafe and create a farm shop in the future.
Mr Durber said: "When we first came, the cafe was here and there were also old, run down greenhouses. The holiday lodges was the initial business idea, but it has become integrated well into the overall picture. It is a bit of an effort to come here and we felt we had to create something to make people want to make the effort. I never envisioned it would end up like this when we first started. It's taken off quite rapidly.
"My wife Katherine has a keen interest in plants and felt it was an interesting opportunity and we had the space. She has been heavily involved in the growth of that. We're also creating a holiday lodges business which is still a work in progress, but will be available for bookings from April."
Despite it's location off the beaten track, you'll often find the car park full of vehicles and also cyclists stopping off on a ride to enjoy a bit of warmth and cake! Sat in the cafe - or on the decking, you can watch some of the people strolling around the many interesting plants and items on sale in the garden centre, while the kids enjoy some of the play equipment on site. You might wonder how so many people know about the Wildflower, but it seems good news travels fast.
"The whole business has grown massively, and we've not really advertised it. It has generally grown through word of mouth. We have got a brilliant team and everyone is keen and enthusiastic. We've got ten people working here and we're hoping to employ more. We've just put a planning application in to increase the size of the cafe and create a farm shop where we'll sell local produce and garden centre bits and pieces," added Mr Durber.
"It's nice to see the business develop. We're always trying to drive forward and trying to keep it at a level or to better yourself. We're always striving for that little bit more, which is vital as a business. The feedback is great, we get a lot of people who are pleasantly surprised when they find us and we have reviews on Google and TripAdvisor. It shows what a good job the staff here are doing. Everything feeds off each other.
"It's a nice environment and we sell quality food. We use local suppliers and local food - there's very little which comes from away. It's always nice when someone sees it for the first time. It would be nice to be able to see it for the first time again. I would like to have the eyes of someone who has never seen it before."
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