There’s not many better ways to spend an afternoon than a visit to a garden centre on a sunny day, and Essex is home to many top locations.

And The Watering Can, a restaurant, cafe or canteen at Cherry Lane Garden Centre, Coggeshall Road, Stisted, Braintree was given a score of four on February 13.

Perrywood Garden Centre, in Sudbury, was granted planning permission for the new build last year, and it is hoped it will become a high-class shopping and leisure destination for those visiting. New ...