Headline on BBC news....not surprised in the slightest

"The UK's garden centres are suffering after the country's spate of bad weather, with sales at their worst levels in at least five years.

So far this year, average underlying sales are down 15% to 20%, with the early Easter proving a washout, says the Garden Centre Association".

 

I only spent 2/- on a seed potato over the whole of Easter

 

Easter wasn't *that* early, even - just that Spring is late!

Hopefully things will pick up now. My excellent local garden centre was putting out lots of new/ tender stock on Wednesday, and there were plenty of customers buying, too - Wednesdays being "10% off for over 55s" day.

And it was warm enough for coffee on the patio this morning - albeit in a cardigan! We got Ken's yoga mat out too.

 

And people will be flocking to garden centres throughout the forthcoming heatwave, and planting out their tender bedding plants, hanging baskets, etc.

Then with 6 weeks to go until the danger of frost is passed they'll all get frosted and garden centres will sell a load more stuff.

The earliest Easter can be is March 21st, 10 days before Easter 2018.

 

Wyevale have been discounting for a while now. We got 10% off some climbers a couple of weeks ago. But they make enough money anyway. Although they don't grow anything, they buy it in.
There used to be a privately owned nursery in Timperley. I can remember one year I went the re for something in March and in one of there several massive greenhouses, there was one of the very long benches where sat a dozen women, pricking out tiny plants from trays into dozens and dozens of pots. Each would be sold for a pound or more.

It's gone now, sold off for housing development ten years ago.

 

Agree. I was quoting the BBC who were trying to blame poor sales on when Easter fell. Certainly bar a few days I haven't been anywhere near my garden since Christmas and had b all desire to do so as had no wish to acquire hypothermia

 

Earlier, back in Feb, I went to my local nursery to buy a few seed potatoes, it has recently been taken over by a slightly bigger independent from Sevenoaks.
I said I didn't really want a whole bag of one variety, I was told its ok, we sell them singly, just put what you want in a bag.

Stupid me got the impression it was so much per bag, as the bags were pretty small.

Then I noticed the sign, seed potatoes 25p each.

Needless to say, I dropped the bag and walked out.
Had a look around there again yesterday, Camellias, 4ft tall, £76
At these prices I doubt they will get any customers whatever the weather.

 

Went to B & Q today , plants are all 20% off.

 

5 Shiilings each! Go here, they only charge 20p each Dundry Nurseries - 302 varieties of seed potatoes in our database TIP: When I go somewhere that has loose spuds, I take some thin Tesco Value sandwich bags and a marker pen and bury other varieties in the middle of a larger bag of other seed spuds.

My local B&Q sold off all their seed spuds @ 10p/bag weeks ago. My plot wont be dry enough to plant them in open ground for at least another week.

 

As most are just coffee shops that sell a few plants on the side i think they will be just fine.


Coffee,cake,scones,candles,clothes,tat,Christmas tat,and maybe then buy a six pack of overpriced pansies.

 

Wyevale rip customers off with their high prices, so I don't feel sorry for them at all. Most plant products are so much cheaper at Wilko. Their cakes & coffee are nice though:spring:

 

I still can’t believe wyevale are still in business and this isn’t just because of there prices. My local one here in is awful a mess just masses of the same stuff and really scruffy, now I don’t mind paying a premium price for a premium product like most things you get what you pay for. The stuff on sale at my local one is nothing special at all. Now from a business point of view I can see why you would charge a bit more for things if you were the only place around but here there is lots of proper garden centres that you can choose from. I have to say the small little garden centre near me is always busy I went yesterday and as usual there were plenty of customers. Maybe the bbc should be asking the question why some of the big places are charging £8.99 for 6 pansies. Finally I think it’s a case that people are just getting wise to being ripped of with pretend sales.

 

Farmers also complaining (no change there, my FiL ceased farming over 40 years ago and is still complaining) British farmers in turmoil as delayed spring plays havoc with growing season

 

We have a local family run garden centre near us in Cheadle village, again doesn't grow anything all imported from Holland.

We was having a walk around the other weekend after having afternoon tea in the café they have not bad prices in the café £12.50 for afternoon tea (no good for my diet), had a look at there clematis they wanted £20.00 for a Montana Elizabeth no wonder they aren't selling any plants, I know different clematis they have to get them here but I was speaking to a Dutch grower the other week they sell them at .50 cents but you have to buy them in 50s. As I was hoping to import some clematis he was growing.