Dobbies, the garden centre chain, is to open a £2m, nature-themed visitor attraction in June.
The 50-acre site, next to Dobbies World garden centre in Atherstone, Warwickshire, will boast three separate areas – Plantasia, Wild Walk and Maze World.
The three attractions have been individually designed by Studio Arc, Lovejoy Landscape Architects and Adrian Fisher Mazes respectively.
Plantasia, an interactive experience housed in a futuristic pod is designed to help guests learn about plants, their properties and their importance to the environment and the earth.
A talking sunflower called Sol guides visitors underground to the Land of the Living, up to the Ozone Layer and then into an underwater area called the Aquachamber. It will also explore the sun’s power in the Hothouse.
The Wild Walk offers lakeside walks and wetland trails as well as picnic sites, while Maze World has been officially registered with Guinness World Records as the world’s longest permanent maze.
It offers 2.44 miles of pathways through six continent-themed mazes, each with a specially created garden at its centre.
Dobbies chief executive, James Barnes, said: “This is a natural and very exciting enhancement of the Dobbies experience.
“We have combined the company’s expertise and understanding of garden centres in creating what we believe to be a really innovative horticultural attraction, which will lead the way in satisfying the growing demand for leisure-focused retail experiences.”
The attraction opened to people living locally for a preview period this month, but will officially launch in June.
Education officer for Dobbies World, Debbie Patterson, said: “The combination of wildlife area, interactive Plantasia and record-breaking mazes offers a unique educational resource to the region.
“There’s so many things here that kids can tap into that the whole curriculum can be covered,” she said.
Dobbies is planning to open a second attraction and has submitted plans for a £6m garden centre, leisure and tourism development on a 20.4-acre ex-Ministry of Defence brownfield site in Stirling, Scotland. Details: www.dobbiesworld.com
