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garden centres vs garden nursery's
Kevin dale
Posts: 135
in Talkback
Myself I always preferred the good old garden nursery's mainly for a far greater range of plants especially cottage garden plants instead of the commercial centres which seem to be all the same hunt them out they are worth the effort and are far more exciting and inspired
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If you want some basic plants, similar to the ones everyone else has got, and some pots and bags of compost and manure and some new tools, camping equipment, Christmas decorations and some tropical fish, bird food, kitchen equipment, new boots, a gilet, sweets, birthday cards, artificial flowers or some costume jewellery the go to a garden centre
If you want to buy some special plants from someone who understands them and has grown them well, then go to a family-run nursery
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
had a potter round Garden centre this morning for some ideas for my new project tropical garden area but nothing really stood out that was different. All i got was three ferns and some alpines but he hey-ho still a good day in the garden got plenty done . got some old fence panels that blew out in the winds any suggestions what i can do with them before they go to there final resting place at the tip ?
There's nothing wrong in garden centres providing birthday cards, Christmas decorations etc. they are simply providing what people want. The frustration is the way their staff often know less about the plants than I do. Go to a nursery and there is often not only a wider range of plants but also a confidence that the plants you are buying have been cared for properly and the staff can give good advice if you need it. I'm lucky to have Wisley on the doorstep and buy most of my plants from there.
I prefer one of my local nurseries to the G/C. My favourite is family run, the owner has a good knowledge of everything there, he knows pretty much where everything is if you want something specific even though the place is massive(2/3 acres) and their prices are very reasonable. I planted my front garden last year with around 72 hardy perenials for a touch over £40. And I have every confidence that they'll start showing soon, some already are.
I agree with Dove. I use my local GC when I need seeds or bird food - I bought some sweet peas yesterday - and I bought compost today as it was convenient and they had a good offer. I had a wander round the plants but it's very limited in what it has on sale, although it's a big, long established place. The nursery I use is a good half hour drive away, but it offers a huge range of plants - all Scottish grown - and if I buy just one, then it covers the cost of the petrol because the GC would (almost always) be twice the price.
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
I don't think there's anything wrong with it - I visit a garden centre most weeks, sometimes more often - but if I'm looking for lovely plants, then I go to a nursery
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
No contest! Nurseries without a doubt. Plant knowledge, is so valuable.
Hey Mike, I also live very near to Ruxley. I can see the appeal of the garden centre, especially ruxley, it's almost like a day out going there. If you were well off you could even treat yourself a garden folly from there, ha! But yes the Nursery is obviously the better place for actually buying plants and getting advice.
I wish we had the choice. All the ones around here that I thought would be fantastic are turning to cafes and tat to supplement their business at the expense of the plant size and so employing people that really don't know the difference between a lavender and a rock bun.
(Thank goodness for internet shopping for those more interesting plants I've been looking at!)
Like with everything else, there are good and bad garden centres and nurseries. At one of our local 'garden centres' at least 90% of the indoor area is given over to non garden related items whilst another does have non-garden related stuff but it is a clearly defined area. The second one also has a terrific range of plants and staff really know their stuff too.