The gems of Mill Hill

This weekend is going to be absolutely glorious. Luckily for me, I live in Mill Hill. There are many great things about living in Mill Hill, but one of the best is that if you jump on a train, you can be in central London in twenty minutes, but if you go for a walk you can be in surrounded by green fields in no time at all. Let me share with you what I will be doing on Sunday, assuming the weather holds out.

One of the hidden gems of Mill Hill is Finchley Nurseries in Burtonhole Lane (http://www.finchleynurseries.co.uk/). They have a fantastic selection of bedding plants, pots, composts and shrubs. It is  a family owned business which has been in Mill Hill for seventy years. It is a great place to come down and spend a bit of time browsing. They also sell fresh grown fruit and veg (in season) as well as barbeque sets and the sheds.

I particularly like the selection of stone statues, bird baths, stone pots  and other such items and my garden has a fair few of them in there. They have a whole section of landscaping products on site and a service to landscape your garden if required.

Also on site is the Mill Hill Aquatic centre AKA Pond Life. The have all the accessories necessary for your pond, a huge stock of coldwater fish such as goldfish, sticklebacks, koi, minnows and orfe. They also stock tropicals and are a great place to get your water and marginal plants. They have pond liners, pumps, fish food and can give expert advice on any problems or issues. They are also ethical stockist, so don't stock marine tropicals or corals. They have water features and other fish related garden furniture. The fine metal sculpture featured in the picture was supplied by my brother Laurie at Bunns Lane welding for their display !

As they have a fine car park, with a catering facility, it is a great place to start a walk around Totteridge Valley. I like to get a cup of tea and a bacon roll as an accompanyment to my journey. It is a short but pleasant walk to Darlands Lake Nature reserve, one of the highlights of the Borough.

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Darlands used to have a boating lake and be stocked with massive carp. Sadly it has been let go by Barnet Council, but is still a fantastic place to visit and chill out  at. The history and details are here - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Darland's_Lake_Nature_Reserve.

Depending on what you want to do next, you can either walk across Totteridge valley and emerge at the Orange Tree, a fine pub with a great menu - http://www.theorangetreetotteridge.co.uk/. The 251 bus provides a service from the pub to Mill Hill, Edgware, Totteridge and Arnos Grove.

If you wish to head back to Mill Hill, then the Adam and Eve pub is also as fine venue for lunch or just a refreshing pint - http://www.adamandevemillhill.co.uk/ .  They have a large garden which is superb for a sunny day relaxing in Mill Hill. The Adam & Eve and Finchley Nurseries are on the 240 bus route from  Mill Hill, Edgware, Hendon and Golders Green.

And before any one asks, none of these businesses have paid for the plug. I just happen to live in Mill Hill and want to see those people who run and work in local businesses thrive. We are currently undergoing a deep recession, which seems to get worse by the day. I urge everyone to support their local traders, local businesses and local amenities. I guarantee that a walk around  Darlands lake is a journey well worth making.