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  • blackestblackest Posts: 623

    GC pretty much do most of the selling of plants between the start of spring to around the end of August which this year is 4 months out of 12 and if the weather isn't nice nobody bothers.

    A supermarket can bring in a few trolleys knock out the plants and done. Now try getting anything beyond the basics from a supermarket, they are not interested. If they can't get it out the door fast they will not sell it. 

    Thing is the overheads for a GC are 12 months a year and they get 4 profitable months and the rest is break even or running at a loss.

    A Supermarket runs 12 months a year and garden stuff is just another seasonal range like mothers day easter and halloween and the biggy Christmas. They dont need the plants to cover the store overheads so they can charge lower prices it is that simple.

    Will be surprised if there are not more closures of gardencentres by the end of the tax year.  The ones which are a combination of nursery and gc stand the best chance of surviving but the cost of heating over the winter to no avail may well close a few too.

     

  • yes thank full for honest advice from the god monty (sorry love the man), i agree with the orginal post why throw away plants, give them to good causes, there are thousands of projects goverment run that could do with brightening up, plant up schools, run down high streets, derlict land anything but bining them. And i dont agree with the supermarkets getting in on selling plants, but look at the other way GC sell a wide range of products . So i think the saying is the dog eat dog ????

  • flowering roseflowering rose Posts: 1,632

    that's it ,leave Monty alone,the only person responsible for the plant disaster is buyer(the person who buys for the shops from the nursery)stop looking for scapegoats and just accept its a bad start to the year.

  • sterelitzasterelitza Posts: 109

    Well said Dove  

    Dovefromabove wrote (see)

    Well, our local garden center employs people who keep an eye on their plants, watering them and even hardening them off - the supermarkets stack 'em high and deep and leave them in the glazed entrance to the store with the doors open in the scorching sun  or  frosty temperatures and never notice that they need watering (I sometimes point it out but they shrug and ignore me).

    Employing people to care for the plants adds to the GC's overheads - hence increased costs.

    If I've only got a few pounds I know that I'd rather spend them on plants that have been cared for by people who know what they're doing ....

    Supermarkets have no one to advise you on what you are buying - It is useful to pick up a bargain from there but beware - boxes of bulbs are sometimes dried out and are dead and gone as soon as you plant them.  Also, some of their pot grown plants will need hardening off if you want to plant them outside, I have learned this the hard way!!!

  • donutsmrsdonutsmrs Posts: 487

    It is so awful to see all those lovely plants being dumped on the tv last week. I really don't think the GC's will suffer very much, after all they sell much more than just plants which makes me wonder how they can actually call themselves Garden Centres when they are selling ornaments, glassware, crockery and even clothes, which is what the "Garden Centre" near me does. I agree with Sparker, stick to your local Nursery. Keep on giving the good advise Monty, we value it.image

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