What Can You Use A Tipi For At A Garden Centre

Why Add a Tipi To Your Garden Centre?

With retail trends changing and customers seeking memorable experiences alongside their shopping trips, adding a tipi to your garden centre can transform it into a multi-functional destination. It’s more than just a structure — it’s an investment in your brand, your customers’ enjoyment, and your long-term business growth.

Our robust tipis can be used throughout the seasons — spring, summer, autumn, and winter — allowing you to host events, workshops, and dining experiences whatever the weather, 12 months of the year. From cosy, twinkling winter grottoes to sun-dappled summer craft fairs, a tipi provides a stunning and practical space for any occasion.

Here are just some of the ways you can make the most of a tipi at your garden centre:

Wellness Space 

Wellness and nature go hand in hand. A beautifully styled tipi provides the perfect space to launch wellness events and retreats, including:

• Morning yoga or pilates sessions surrounded by nature
• Meditation and sound-bath workshops
• Wellness days with nutrition talks and healthy food demonstrations

Adding a wellness element to your garden centre not only attracts new audiences but also highlights your commitment to customer well-being. Wellness classes often take place early morning or evening to fill the “shoulder hours” while the garden centre is closed. Renting the tipis to local instructors on an per-hour basis can assist in driving further revenue to your garden centre.

Private Functions

Garden centres with tipis are perfectly placed to tap into the growing demand for unique, outdoor event spaces for private parties and weddings. By hiring out your tipi for private functions, you can provide an enchanting setting for:

• Intimate weddings and vow renewals
• Birthday parties and milestone celebrations
• Corporate away days or team-building sessions

Multiple tipis can be linked together to cater for larger gatherings, while still providing an intimate and magical atmosphere. For example, two Big Hats can easily seat weddings up to 120 people with a bar and dancefloor. Renting the tipis exclusively on a 1 day basis can significantly increase your revenue, while also generating extra food and drink spend on the day.

Seasonal Events

One of the biggest draws of adding a giant event tipi to your garden centre is the opportunity to host a range of seasonal events that keep customers coming back time and again. A tipi provides a sheltered yet open connection with nature, making it perfect for:

• Spring flower making workshops, Easter egg hunts and spring family fun events
• Summer fairs and mini festivals with food stalls, live music, and local artisans
• Halloween pumpkin picking with spooky storytelling and pumpkin carving workshops
• Christmas Santa’s Grotto, festive markets, and wreath-making sessions

With the right styling and seasonal décor, your tipi can transform to match any celebration, giving visitors a reason to return all year round.

Workshops & Classes

Consumers are increasingly drawn to experiences they can share with family and friends — and garden centres are perfectly placed to deliver this. Your tipi can be turned into an inspiring hub for creative and educational workshops, such as:

• Flower arranging and wreath making classes
• Seasonal crafting sessions
• Wine & pizza nights
• Chef nights with partnerships with local chefs
• Gardening tutorials and expert Q&A talks
• Cooking demonstrations using seasonal produce

Hosting these types of events elevates your garden centre’s reputation as more than just a place to buy plants. You become a community destination for people to learn new skills, socialise, and make memories.

Workshops & Classes

Adding a new café & dining area is a natural extension for many garden centres. By situating it in our giant tipis, you create a memorable dining experience that guests will love. Picture tables nestled under twinkling fairy lights, surrounded by plants and flowers — it’s a restaurant like no other.

Whether you’re launching a new food and beverage offering or upgrading an existing one, our Tipi Team can advise on the most suitable size and configuration to suit your needs and expected footfall. With the addition of heating, solid doors, and panoramic windows your tipi café can operate comfortably all year round.

Unlike many outdoor structures that are limited to the summer months, our tipis are designed for all-season use. Built to withstand the British weather, they provide shelter from sun, wind, rain, and even snow. This means you can run events, workshops, dining experiences, and private hires no matter the time of year — creating a consistent, reliable income stream that enhances your garden centre’s profitability.

When you choose a tipi from The Tipi Company, you’re not just adding a structure — you’re investing in a versatile, premium space that elevates your venue, delights your customers, and keeps them coming back for more.

Ready to transform your outdoor space and grow your garden centre business? Get in touch with our friendly Tipi Team today to discuss your vision and arrange a Complimentary Site Visit.