Garden centres ready for the rush as they reopen today

WHETHER they are hankering for compost, lawn seed or bedding plants, gardeners will be keenly anticipating the reopening of the vast majority of the UK’s garden centres from today.
Joe Appleyard, plant supervisor, at Tong Garden Centre, near Leeds, preparing to open following the coronavirus lockdown restrictions being lifted by the GovernmentJoe Appleyard, plant supervisor, at Tong Garden Centre, near Leeds, preparing to open following the coronavirus lockdown restrictions being lifted by the Government
Joe Appleyard, plant supervisor, at Tong Garden Centre, near Leeds, preparing to open following the coronavirus lockdown restrictions being lifted by the Government

And after a seven-week lockdown which made a washout of three of their four biggest selling weekends of the year - including Easter and the early May Bank Holiday - garden centres have been furiously busy getting ready to serve customers again.

Boyd Douglas-Davies, president of the Horticultural Trades Association, who was at a garden centre in Camarthen, Wales, which reopened on Monday, said cars had been turning up before opening hours two days running.

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“Compost is big - tomato plants seem to be on everybody’s shopping lists, so are strawberries and bearing in mind we are in South Wales, leeks. Then there’s salad crops and lots of bedding - fuschias, busy lizzies, geraniums.”

Kath West planting bedding plants at her garden centre she runs with husband Gordon in Dishforth, North YorkshireKath West planting bedding plants at her garden centre she runs with husband Gordon in Dishforth, North Yorkshire
Kath West planting bedding plants at her garden centre she runs with husband Gordon in Dishforth, North Yorkshire

Customers can expect supermarket-style social distancing queues, one-way systems and limits on the numbers allowed inside.

Restaurants and children’s play areas will stay closed and for the time being it will not be a place to while away an afternoon.

Just 90 people at a time will be allowed into Bradford’s Tong Garden Centre under rules which allow one person per 1,000 square feet.

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Managing director Mark Farnsworth said they were excited, but nervous about “making sure we do everything safely for the team and customers”.

Kath West waters the geraniums at her garden centre she runs with husband Gordon in Dishforth, North YorkshireKath West waters the geraniums at her garden centre she runs with husband Gordon in Dishforth, North Yorkshire
Kath West waters the geraniums at her garden centre she runs with husband Gordon in Dishforth, North Yorkshire

He quoted a YouGov survey where 75 per cent of respondents said they would be comfortable about shopping in a garden centre, adding: “I’d imagine that 75 per cent has only strengthened over the last couple of weeks.

"On social media we’ve had an amazing positive response from customers wishing us well and can’t wait to come.”

He expects people to make fewer visits, but buying more when they do, mirroring the way food shopping habits have changed. Everything has been worked out, so people can get round the garden centre safely.

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He said: “It is a bit surreal as I walk round the site, but as an industry we have been really innovative and prepared to adapt and change.”

Safety precautions, including social distancing measures have been put in place at Tong Garden Centre near LeedsSafety precautions, including social distancing measures have been put in place at Tong Garden Centre near Leeds
Safety precautions, including social distancing measures have been put in place at Tong Garden Centre near Leeds

As well as giving people a chance to stay “sane and active” in the coming weeks, shopping centres are crucial outlets for local growers who have a brief two or three month window a year to sell their products.

“It is vital that we can support British growers and keep the industry going over the next few weeks,” said Mr Farnsworth.

Meanwhile for Kath and Gordon West will be opening their nursery at Dishforth, North Yorkshire, on Wednesday. For the couple it will be a race against time.

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"We normally sell £40,000 worth of plants - and we've only got basically five weeks to sell them in," said Mr West, who says he will be working up to 12 hours a day.

"By the time we get to the middle of June people have their plants and it stops - it's like driving over a precipice."

Mr West said reopening was a double-edged sword as they are pensioners - Gordon is 68 and Kath is 71 - and both in the vulnerable group.

However there's plenty of room, none of the areas are enclosed and the greenhouses have open vents and doors.

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"Provided they respect social distancing there should be no problem," he said.

"We are pleased to open again, it does an awful lot of people, an awful lot of good.

"It's mainly hanging baskets, summer plants, a full range of vegetables and all the bedding plants you can think of."

Some £600 had been raised for the air ambulance and Citizens Advice from 300 trays of early vegetables which they left outside after the lockdown.

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Yorkshire’s oldest nursery – RV Roger of Pickering established in 1913 – grows 50,000 roses a year and thousands of fruit trees.

Even during lockdown people have been turning up and knocking on their gates.

Retail sales manager David Patch said: “We are delighted to be reopening today. Obviously it’s a bit of an unknown.

"But with the support of our fantastic staff and amazing customers we will make it work."

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