I do love garden centres that have a massive end of season sale. All the tatty, poorly and shrivelled plants and the perfectly healthy hibernating perennials that they sell for pennies. I’m there like a shot every year. I just love the challenge of resurrecting them or nursing them back to health. Generally all they need is some fresh compost and a jolly good soaking et voila! I bought a very poorly looking David Austin Mme Alfred Carrier climbing rose from my GC for £3. It had a broken main stem, but is now resplendent, smothering my arch in fragrant while blooms. I smile when I remember how it looked when I ‘rescued’ it 4 years ago.
The local garden centre is just a mile up the road from me & I’m a ‘garden club’ member there, not for the 5% discount I get off the plants though, more for the free cuppa I get when meeting up with friends there. When I’m looking for ideas of plants I want to fill a space, I’ll visit there first but then go along to my local family nursery a couple of miles up the road where I can usually find what I’m looking for at half the price.
Nursery for me . Am I the only person who'd happily wait until I get home and have tea? I've never had tea in a garden centre. I'd rather spend the money on a plant.
Nursery for me . Am I the only person who'd happily wait until I get home and have tea? I've never had tea in a garden centre. I'd rather spend the money on a plant.
Quite agree Hosta!
Sure you guys wouldn’t be happier on the Curmudgeons Corner thread? Lol 😂
Nursery for me . Am I the only person who'd happily wait until I get home and have tea? I've never had tea in a garden centre. I'd rather spend the money on a plant.
Quite agree Hosta!
Sure you guys wouldn’t be happier on the Curmudgeons Corner thread? Lol 😂
Local garden centre has all the usual bright tempting displays, retail outlets, cafe, staff are mixed in their knowledge but helpful, if you can find one. High prices though so I tend to head for sick and poorly corner where I've got massive discounts on Great plants that have just needed a little tlc. Local nurseries are fab, a-Z listing, knowledgeable staff etc and much more reasonable prices, no cafes, limited accessories. In order to survive they all specialise in some way. One does hundreds of hanging baskets, troughs and planters to order in the season, the other holds heritage fruit collections. Also we have a couple of local horticultural enterprises working with people with mental health issues or learning disabilities, which have super little retail areas. I love all of them, depends on what I need as to where I go. So lucky to be spoilt for choice.
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I bought a very poorly looking David Austin Mme Alfred Carrier climbing rose from my GC for £3. It had a broken main stem, but is now resplendent, smothering my arch in fragrant while blooms. I smile when I remember how it looked when I ‘rescued’ it 4 years ago.
The local garden centre is just a mile up the road from me & I’m a ‘garden club’ member there, not for the 5% discount I get off the plants though, more for the free cuppa I get when meeting up with friends there. When I’m looking for ideas of plants I want to fill a space, I’ll visit there first but then go along to my local family nursery a couple of miles up the road where I can usually find what I’m looking for at half the price.
Local nurseries are fab, a-Z listing, knowledgeable staff etc and much more reasonable prices, no cafes, limited accessories. In order to survive they all specialise in some way. One does hundreds of hanging baskets, troughs and planters to order in the season, the other holds heritage fruit collections.
Also we have a couple of local horticultural enterprises working with people with mental health issues or learning disabilities, which have super little retail areas.
I love all of them, depends on what I need as to where I go. So lucky to be spoilt for choice.