Garden centre trip

[annie8]

It’s actually sad how excited I was to go to a plant nursery for the first time in months. Got herbs and leek plants and some bedding plants even got a pretty wee achillea.

[Nicos]

Good for you!
I was equally excited to be able to buy some potting compost!

And nope - it's not sad it just shows how much you love gardening!

[burnie]

I've only been to the chemist, I'm waiting for the stampede to subside before going outside, we are still shielding here(luckily I got some compost delivered for free by our local GC).

[annie8]

Have to say the garden centre was well organised. One way system, spray for the trolley handles and good social distancing and checkout arrangements. They must have been planning it for a while.

[B Porcupine]

I am thrilled for the businesses - it must have been heartbreaking to not open and have plants spoiling, no cash flow, and staff to worry about. I was v. excited for them to see them open. I hope this gives the GCs enough of a boost.

But for me personally, I want to browse at a GC, not just go through like on a conveyor belt. I guess if you need a specific thing, it may be fine, but I want a relaxing ,leisurely, wandering experience, not a queue and a one-way system. My local allowed me to click and collect (order and pay online, call when you arrive and they put it in the boot), so I got my top up of compost, etc. many weeks ago; and now I am actually OK for most things, I will sit it out. Not trying to be negative, just honest. I am v keen to keep supporting my local and will be back in force when things are normalised.

[nickdub]

I generally don't make special trips to garden centres, for one thing being a miser I find supermarket plants OK as often as not.

I did go to B&Q in Gloucester back in March to kill some time while my father-in-law was in for hospital treatment. Picked up a large bag of verve compost which has been used now, not sure if they closed up not long after that. I do remember that everyone was panic buying in Lidl across the road, so I gave that a miss.

[annie8]

No that’s fine, each to his own. Had been able to go to a Homebase near me to pick up the odd thing but there just isn’t the selection or I think the quality you get in a nursery. As you say b porcupine it’s good to support local businesses.

[greenishfing]

I called at my local garden centre last week. It was a nightmare. Horrific! Lots of geriatrics "dumping" their cars in the car park and completely ignoring social distancing and, of course the family who didn't even attempt to control their offspring. I won't be visiting again in a hurry.

[Plot70]

I had to go because while I was digging up couch grass roots that had been watered with lawn greening fluid by the previous plot holder. They were not too much too much for for my digging fork. There was an old injury that had happened to the tree the shaft had been cut from.
They replaced it without quibbling and then spat me back out into the car park so I did not get to go around the rest of the store.
It was very soon after they re-opened.