I'm staying away and advised our local garden groups to stay away for a few weeks, until things settle down for the centres. There's no point in stressing out the staff. We only have one centre near us and they will be swamped. We can live for another few weeks without more garden consumerism. There is a big, cheap nursery on the edge of North London and there will be mayhem up there this weekend. Why add to the chaos?
I'm going today and cannot wait. I've been super careful throughout this whole time, avoiding most public places where possible, but trust that my local GC will have everything in place (had an email to confirm the rules and that staff have screens at checkout). They need the custom as much as I want to go there!
This subject was being discussed on another garden related forum and people who had been to GCs on Wednesday said they were surprised just how quiet they were. Just goes to show how sensible gardeners are.
Regarding composts.. most of the supermarkets in my area stock them and there’s plenty to go around.. and it’s convenient as most of us need to go to supermarkets to get our necessities anyway so it really isn’t much of a hassle to pick up a bag of compost in one essential shopping trip..
they also do some plants but obviously don’t look as nice as the garden centres’..
I made a list. They have a one way system going round, and you can't double back. I needed a big ball of garden string, another bucket of blood fish and bone. The one I bought in February went on potatoes, onion bed and sweet peas. Then as we de silted the pond and I didn't want it becoming a mozzie fest, some oxygenating weed, a couple of waterlilies as I thought mine had died, although now I see shoots, a couple of marginals, six small goldfish and some goldfish food. £130 . If everyone spent likewise they will soon be back on their feet.
My favourite local GC has been doing deliveries and click and collect. I went yesterday to buy bedding/ basket plants it was lovely just a shame their fantastic cafe was closed.
Visited our local Dobbies yesterday. Staff well organised and so on. No bedding plants at all and lots of VERY expensive plants. The queue for the tills was at least 100yds long. Left through the entrance! Will try a local nursery in a few days when things have settled down!
I was pleasantly surprised how empty it was. No queuing at any point and my uncle went on Wednesday and also no queuing maybe people are still too worried?
There was 3 car crash within 40 minutes of opening at a GC about 15 miles from me. I suspect impatience either from somebody trying to turn right or somebody trying to get past the queues and wanting to go straight on. Pure speculation on my part.
people forgot how to drive from lack of it during lockdown .
I thought they were opening Monday? But that is good news, I will let all the drama loving accident prone, impatient, latest craze (whatever opens next atm) people get it out of their system first. But was about time. I haven't needed much of anything and even though gardening is cheap, you always seem to need something.
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they also do some plants but obviously don’t look as nice as the garden centres’..
I thought they were opening Monday? But that is good news, I will let all the drama loving accident prone, impatient, latest craze (whatever opens next atm) people get it out of their system first. But was about time. I haven't needed much of anything and even though gardening is cheap, you always seem to need something.