Closed garden centres

peter_the_piper

I hope you are all practising your propogation skills as even if garden centres can open there is a fair chance that fresh plants will not be available.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-52098436

We have had to cancel orders but some have been delivered so we can only hope that the lockdown easies.

Davesnave

Judging by the way the seed companies have been overwhelmed the intention is certainly there. Whether the thought becomes the deed, we'll see in due course.

When I was in a supermarket last week, there seemed to be plenty of fresh veg (and bog roll!)

Justagardener

I wonder how many independent garden centres can survive this even if things ease.

Farway

One near here, Chichester area Hope Plants, has switched to home deliveries, best of luck to them. The local FB pages seem supportive but one wonders once they realise the possible prices?

"There are local greenhouses full of millions of pounds worth of beautiful bedding plants with no route to market as the doors have been shut on the large retailers at a time when everybody is at home in their garden, desperate to get gardening."  it's an FB page https://www.facebook.com/HopePlantsUK/?__tn__=,dkCH-R-R&eid=ARBydJS865-BmfTasJzoSOBi5UdANM_hYRg6IVF5C_Y-3PGtMsveQDBB8YWJxlt0ANiPZmSjZ1bFzJE_&hc_ref=ART5QWFt5QdxXiLjGP2tP2VHnD_zHLQ0El6Cyqvbechwn6wCnfrqyeh6hT7PUJgSILw&fref=nf&hc_location=group

Silvertabby

One way round it could be to allow limited access to just the outdoor plant areas (most garden centres have a delivery gate), taking payment by contactless cards.  Otherwise a lot of the smaller garden centres may not survive the loss of so much stock 

Alfrescodave

If people are ordering plants online then don't delay as many sites now have limited stock due probably to plant panic buying. 

Silvertabby

Alfrescodave said:

If people are ordering plants online then don't delay as many sites now have limited stock due probably to plant panic buying. 

Some have stopped taking new orders, at least until they catch up with the existing ones.  I ordered most of mine in January/February  (for delivery from March onwards)  and have received e-mails advising that delivery may be delayed due to CV.   

Ganga

We have a local one that is taking phone orders and allowing collections and also doing deliveries , I only want some bags of top soil at the moment so no problems but who buys plants etc without looking at them ,just hope they survive the crisis ,what a future to look forward too for most of us 

[Deleted User]

The online nurseries are operating so buying from them is going some way to keeping the industry going, the amount of plantlife wasted will be huge, it's an awful situation.

My own favourites are Paramount Plants and Grasslands; never had a bad experience with either !

Arthog

It's frustrating not to be able to even browse the websites because they have been closed down for days at a time. Surely they could have left us some access.

As others have said, there is a surge in thoughts of growing vegetables and sales of seeds so we need to act fast when we can buy them.

hollydays

I've stocked up with herb seeds and compost.