An interesting read. For me, I end up visiting the garden centres when they are selling off the plants. Like you mentioned, for me they are at large uninspiring and over priced. They have boring and unimaginative staged tat that is the same from one garden centres to the next.
I very rarely purchase anything from them, they were just a nice place to get a coffee with my nan.
They’re is so much potential for inspiring a nation to enjoy gardening, photograph the flowers and the wildlife, offer toddler sessions to start sowing seeds, the list is endless. Instead they are like a carbon copy of one another with zero personality.
I think it’s because very few of them are independent- they’re all owned by chains.
If they were doing their visual merchandising well then you wouldn’t be able to resist buying something as you wandered through on the way to the cafe with your nan. But they’ve adopted the tk maxx vibe which does not make a pleasant shopping experience!
I wonder if they’re looking for a gardening consultant to help them out 😉 Where do I apply?! 🤣🤣
Yes!! Where are you near to? I wonder if your local ones have one of those suggestion boxes you could add workshops on to a slip of paper and pop it in! X
Oh geographically not too far from me then- I'm just outside Reading. I just looked at Neal's nurseries- their website is saying all the right things so I reckon they'd be receptive to suggestions :)
Excellent! Love it. Definitely on the same page. Had a similar discussion at a recent press event.
I have an exceptional independent garden centre near me. Yes it’s half lifestyle but quality. Plants are superb. Ever changing seasonal displays and a vast range with specimen trees and shrubs too. Seasonal courses events hosted by recognised gardeners and big brands.
Then there’s the chain garden centre up the road. Looks like an abandoned post-apocalyptic mall inside. Sorry looking neglected plants and tat. Endless tables of cheap wasteful bedding that should have been consigned and banished to the Victorians. Died heather?! Don’t get me started on the ‘garden accessories’… absolute garbage. All destined for a local landfill within a year. The only time I visit is to buy their neglected plants at a fraction of the RRP, so in a weird way I’m grateful that they’re so hopeless 😂
Wish my local garden centre would read this. It's dreadful. It's an independent one but I'm sure whoever is running it has worked at one of the big chains before as it's the same old thing. I used to love going to a garden centre, but we rarely find what we want there and it's not a fun shopping experience. Last time went I ended pushing a heavy trolley of garden stuff through all the new clothes aisles (which now take up more space than plants) as I couldn't find my way to the tills 😂
I think garden centres have got the memo and are definitely getting so much better, especially since covid. The one in your cover picture used to have a branch very close to my house and for years it was doing exactly what you described in all the issues. I always wondered how it kept going. Until it went bust and got sold off. Now despite still belonging to a large chain, it's a lot more inspiring space. With season appropriate good, reasonable priced garden plants, and latest trending house plants. Yes the cafe is probably still brings the most income, they got crazy with the Xmas displays and sell clothes and other stuff but it's still is a lot more inspiring places than it used to be for years. I have noticed that other large chains are also upping their game with more unusual garden plants and large house plant displays that are actually looked after properly, sometimes in specially created jungle rooms. I presume you also don't mean independent nurseries in your article because they are wonderful and keep improving year on year IMO 😀
Some of them perhaps- but the vast majority of them are still soulless and actually havent changed since I was a kid. Where are you based because I need to come and visit your local ones!
Oh yes, don't get me wrong, they are still nowhere as good as independent nurseries but I think they are still better than they used to be. I'm in Herts. We have a few British Garden Centre nurseries which are not as bad as what they used to be when the places belonged to Wyevale. Blue Dimond chain is quite good when it comes to houseplants although they are expensive there. There are so many independent nurseries/garden centres though (sometimes I think the distinction is a bit blurred. Is it a garden centre when it's a chain or can it be a garden centre even if it's just one?). Ayletts in St Albans looks like a garden centre but they often got some pretty good unusual plants. And then of course the golden mile of garden centres and nurseries in Enfield (Oakwood area) - everyone is bound to like at least one of the centres of offer there.
Love this and it's really got me thinking. I am lucky to have a fab nursery near me that does create inspirational areas to show off the beautiful plants they sell https://theplantspecialist.co.uk/nursery/ But in the cold winter months, I am forced to a local garden centre and trudge around amongst the tat feeling less than inspired. You have come up with some great suggestions :)
Oooh this looks gorgeous 😍😍😍 Maybe I need to start a list of ‘Plant nurseries/ Garden Centres as recommended by readers of the Seed as I’m getting some great suggestions on here.
I feel like people new to gardening wouldn’t think to go to a plant nursery- it takes an element of confidence. What do you think?
This is why I feel so strongly that Garden centres have SUCH an opportunity to instil confidence and delight in those new to gardening that they’re not capitalising on.
It is a magical place. I’m not sure it takes confidence necessarily. I always think of it as a little garden centre. What makes the difference there are the staff. You can browse the aisles of plants in peace if that’s what you prefer. But if you go to them, tell them about what you’re trying to achieve, the size of the border etc they will help to suggest plants to fill the space. Each plant comes with a little handwritten notice giving details of where it likes to grow, when it will flower, the type of colour and scent it will produce etc. There’s absolutely no reason why a garden centre can’t offer a similar bespoke service of knowledgeable people who can guide you and little gardens full of inspiring plants to get your mouth watering?
We have a few independent nurseries near me (Wiltshire) which are amazing. There used to be some lovely independent garden centres but they have been taken over by Whitehall and are all absolutely dreadful. Full of tat, the plants are terrible and look neglected and everything is ridiculously over-priced. I think they are still riding on their independent reputations but I cannot imagine that they will survive in their current form. The thing I don't understand about these bigger chains is, why buy a thriving independent nursery only to run it into the ground? Surely they would benefit more from continuing with what made these garden centres valuable enough for them to buy in the first place? And I have also had dreadful experience with 3 of the major online retailers of plants. I would say that probably 50% of what I bought is no longer in existence, yet everything I have bought from my local nurseries has absolutely thrived.
Oooh do share the names of the good ones- I’m just across the border in Berkshire and would love some more inspiring ones to visit.
Not a great success rate from the online retailers is it. The thing that really grinds my gears is that they don’t seem to care when you raise an issue!
As to why the chains buy up good garden centres and change them for the worse I have no idea. Would love to take a look at their business plans!! 🙈🤣
My first job as a teen was in a big garden centre (i spent one Xmas season as an elf driving Santa’s snow train🙄)… over 20 years later and garden centres haven’t changed a bit. I live the sensory experience of buying plants and getting to touch and smell everything as I got, but get frustrated with the lack of care the plants get and the overwhelming amounts of tat you have to navigate through just to get to the checkouts. In comparison I have a couple of local indoor plant shops that are beautiful…good quality plants, beautifully displayed, staff who love plants. I wish there was a local outdoor plant equivalent 🌺
That a fascinating observation about them not changing in 20 years. Especially when you consider what we've been through in that time! It's like they've already given up and just resigned themselves to death.
Maybe thats why indoor plants are having such a craze amongst the younger generations?! Because their shops are actually inspiring!
You’re correct in your observations even though we don’t live in the same city or country. We can relate to buying from a garden store is no different than going to a grocery store and buying a plant, because they don’t make the buying experience fun or they give out bad advice. We trust the garden store staff to know about plants but they only think about profit and hassle over coupons or sell dead plants to new gardeners. I’ve only been to a few places that want to educate customers and know everything about the plants they are selling. Garden stores are not the only plant source, because there’s online stores, plant swaps, plant stands, local organization plant sales, etc.
Thats true but I think people who are new to gardening wouldn't feel confident to buy from a plant stand or sale as they don't feel they know enough about the plants. Thats why garden centres have such a responsibility to educate and inspire.
Totally agree with this and I’m shocked at the quality of many centres in the UK compared to Australia. My local at home is a popular destination for weekend breakfasts, amazing coffee, beautiful views and a range of stunning plants including interesting natives I’ve never come across before. And modern, related homeware (like beautiful ceramic pots of all shapes and sizes).
I want to be able to turn to a staff member and have a technical question answered (like I do in B&Q). I don’t blame the staff for that though. Classes on flower arranging, planting a flower garden, building a raised bed, no-dig gardening, hugekultur, how to look after laying chickens, planting a window box etc would be so helpful. Even arty things like making ceramic planting tags would be fun. You’re on to something!
I love this! I’ve got a tiny garden but I’m actually intimidated to do anything with it. I would definitely go to workshops at my local garden centre if they did them!
I agree completely about garden centres, generally the plant selection is very limited and overpriced. I love to go to garden openings and fetes as there are often unusual and cheaper plants and the money usually goes to charity,
I would just like to take issue with your rather ageist comment about the over 65’s , please don’t lump everyone in the last portion of their lives together! I’m 65 and today I’m wearing DM’s and 501’s and I’m a lot fitter than I was in my 20’s !
I am in France and most of the garden centres are much the same (but have got chickens and much less tat) but the independent nurseries and pépinières (of which there are many) are amazing!
I love the idea of 'buy this border' - that would be such an inspiration - I'm forever taking pictures of lovely borders but then don't know what half the plants are!
So many garden centres around where we lived in mid Kent closed down over the last few years. Previously to that, I used to love having a mooch but they were never particularly inspiring.
As a retailer of many years, I could see they were missing so many elements of basic shopkeeping! Didn't help that the company (mostly chains as you said) spent no money on the shop design, props or signage.
When your average unit price is under £10 you need to encourage customers to buy 3 or more things, through great visual merchandising, something exciting like workshops and actual customer service.
Quite! I can’t understand why the chain would bother to buy it in the first place if they had no intention of spending some money on it and try to turn it around.
All this talk of unit price is taking me back to my M&S days!
An interesting read. For me, I end up visiting the garden centres when they are selling off the plants. Like you mentioned, for me they are at large uninspiring and over priced. They have boring and unimaginative staged tat that is the same from one garden centres to the next.
I very rarely purchase anything from them, they were just a nice place to get a coffee with my nan.
They’re is so much potential for inspiring a nation to enjoy gardening, photograph the flowers and the wildlife, offer toddler sessions to start sowing seeds, the list is endless. Instead they are like a carbon copy of one another with zero personality.
I think it’s because very few of them are independent- they’re all owned by chains.
If they were doing their visual merchandising well then you wouldn’t be able to resist buying something as you wandered through on the way to the cafe with your nan. But they’ve adopted the tk maxx vibe which does not make a pleasant shopping experience!
I wonder if they’re looking for a gardening consultant to help them out 😉 Where do I apply?! 🤣🤣
I am so happy I found you on Substack! I would totally join workshops/classes if my nearest garden centres would offer some
Yes!! Where are you near to? I wonder if your local ones have one of those suggestion boxes you could add workshops on to a slip of paper and pop it in! X
I am in Balham/Clapham. My nearest one is the Neal's nurseries. I'll check out the suggestion box.
Oh geographically not too far from me then- I'm just outside Reading. I just looked at Neal's nurseries- their website is saying all the right things so I reckon they'd be receptive to suggestions :)
Excellent! Love it. Definitely on the same page. Had a similar discussion at a recent press event.
I have an exceptional independent garden centre near me. Yes it’s half lifestyle but quality. Plants are superb. Ever changing seasonal displays and a vast range with specimen trees and shrubs too. Seasonal courses events hosted by recognised gardeners and big brands.
Then there’s the chain garden centre up the road. Looks like an abandoned post-apocalyptic mall inside. Sorry looking neglected plants and tat. Endless tables of cheap wasteful bedding that should have been consigned and banished to the Victorians. Died heather?! Don’t get me started on the ‘garden accessories’… absolute garbage. All destined for a local landfill within a year. The only time I visit is to buy their neglected plants at a fraction of the RRP, so in a weird way I’m grateful that they’re so hopeless 😂
🤣🤣🤣
You’re not telling me anyone actually likes those dyed heathers anyway. So why are they stocking them?
I’d love them to employ a really good visual merchandising person or someone who doesn’t think granny chic is what’s wanted.
I have no idea who buys that stuff! It’s scary. Although I suspect the buyers are in a similar clique to the gargoyle and plastic buxus ball owners!
Oh goodness the hanging plastic buxus balls ☠️ 🤢
Oh God, the dyed heathers 😬
Dire aren’t they?!
I think I know the catalogue you mean. Yes, strictly visual inspiration only!
I feel a bit cheeky but glad I’m not the only one! 😉
Wish my local garden centre would read this. It's dreadful. It's an independent one but I'm sure whoever is running it has worked at one of the big chains before as it's the same old thing. I used to love going to a garden centre, but we rarely find what we want there and it's not a fun shopping experience. Last time went I ended pushing a heavy trolley of garden stuff through all the new clothes aisles (which now take up more space than plants) as I couldn't find my way to the tills 😂
Ha ha- lost in a sea of old lady gardening clothes desperate to buy plants! I wonder how I can get them to read this?! 🤔
These are excellent ideas and I completely agree. Garden centers should also be focused on younger people—they are missing a huge market!
Are they the same in the US Kelli? I thought in the US they might have caught on to the fact that people under 65 also like gardening!!
I think garden centres have got the memo and are definitely getting so much better, especially since covid. The one in your cover picture used to have a branch very close to my house and for years it was doing exactly what you described in all the issues. I always wondered how it kept going. Until it went bust and got sold off. Now despite still belonging to a large chain, it's a lot more inspiring space. With season appropriate good, reasonable priced garden plants, and latest trending house plants. Yes the cafe is probably still brings the most income, they got crazy with the Xmas displays and sell clothes and other stuff but it's still is a lot more inspiring places than it used to be for years. I have noticed that other large chains are also upping their game with more unusual garden plants and large house plant displays that are actually looked after properly, sometimes in specially created jungle rooms. I presume you also don't mean independent nurseries in your article because they are wonderful and keep improving year on year IMO 😀
Some of them perhaps- but the vast majority of them are still soulless and actually havent changed since I was a kid. Where are you based because I need to come and visit your local ones!
Oh yes, don't get me wrong, they are still nowhere as good as independent nurseries but I think they are still better than they used to be. I'm in Herts. We have a few British Garden Centre nurseries which are not as bad as what they used to be when the places belonged to Wyevale. Blue Dimond chain is quite good when it comes to houseplants although they are expensive there. There are so many independent nurseries/garden centres though (sometimes I think the distinction is a bit blurred. Is it a garden centre when it's a chain or can it be a garden centre even if it's just one?). Ayletts in St Albans looks like a garden centre but they often got some pretty good unusual plants. And then of course the golden mile of garden centres and nurseries in Enfield (Oakwood area) - everyone is bound to like at least one of the centres of offer there.
Love this and it's really got me thinking. I am lucky to have a fab nursery near me that does create inspirational areas to show off the beautiful plants they sell https://theplantspecialist.co.uk/nursery/ But in the cold winter months, I am forced to a local garden centre and trudge around amongst the tat feeling less than inspired. You have come up with some great suggestions :)
Oooh this looks gorgeous 😍😍😍 Maybe I need to start a list of ‘Plant nurseries/ Garden Centres as recommended by readers of the Seed as I’m getting some great suggestions on here.
I feel like people new to gardening wouldn’t think to go to a plant nursery- it takes an element of confidence. What do you think?
This is why I feel so strongly that Garden centres have SUCH an opportunity to instil confidence and delight in those new to gardening that they’re not capitalising on.
It is a magical place. I’m not sure it takes confidence necessarily. I always think of it as a little garden centre. What makes the difference there are the staff. You can browse the aisles of plants in peace if that’s what you prefer. But if you go to them, tell them about what you’re trying to achieve, the size of the border etc they will help to suggest plants to fill the space. Each plant comes with a little handwritten notice giving details of where it likes to grow, when it will flower, the type of colour and scent it will produce etc. There’s absolutely no reason why a garden centre can’t offer a similar bespoke service of knowledgeable people who can guide you and little gardens full of inspiring plants to get your mouth watering?
OMG the handwritten note. Like a little plant love letter 😍
So true!
We have a few independent nurseries near me (Wiltshire) which are amazing. There used to be some lovely independent garden centres but they have been taken over by Whitehall and are all absolutely dreadful. Full of tat, the plants are terrible and look neglected and everything is ridiculously over-priced. I think they are still riding on their independent reputations but I cannot imagine that they will survive in their current form. The thing I don't understand about these bigger chains is, why buy a thriving independent nursery only to run it into the ground? Surely they would benefit more from continuing with what made these garden centres valuable enough for them to buy in the first place? And I have also had dreadful experience with 3 of the major online retailers of plants. I would say that probably 50% of what I bought is no longer in existence, yet everything I have bought from my local nurseries has absolutely thrived.
Oooh do share the names of the good ones- I’m just across the border in Berkshire and would love some more inspiring ones to visit.
Not a great success rate from the online retailers is it. The thing that really grinds my gears is that they don’t seem to care when you raise an issue!
As to why the chains buy up good garden centres and change them for the worse I have no idea. Would love to take a look at their business plans!! 🙈🤣
My first job as a teen was in a big garden centre (i spent one Xmas season as an elf driving Santa’s snow train🙄)… over 20 years later and garden centres haven’t changed a bit. I live the sensory experience of buying plants and getting to touch and smell everything as I got, but get frustrated with the lack of care the plants get and the overwhelming amounts of tat you have to navigate through just to get to the checkouts. In comparison I have a couple of local indoor plant shops that are beautiful…good quality plants, beautifully displayed, staff who love plants. I wish there was a local outdoor plant equivalent 🌺
OMG i'd bloody love the elf job!
That a fascinating observation about them not changing in 20 years. Especially when you consider what we've been through in that time! It's like they've already given up and just resigned themselves to death.
Maybe thats why indoor plants are having such a craze amongst the younger generations?! Because their shops are actually inspiring!
You’re correct in your observations even though we don’t live in the same city or country. We can relate to buying from a garden store is no different than going to a grocery store and buying a plant, because they don’t make the buying experience fun or they give out bad advice. We trust the garden store staff to know about plants but they only think about profit and hassle over coupons or sell dead plants to new gardeners. I’ve only been to a few places that want to educate customers and know everything about the plants they are selling. Garden stores are not the only plant source, because there’s online stores, plant swaps, plant stands, local organization plant sales, etc.
Thats true but I think people who are new to gardening wouldn't feel confident to buy from a plant stand or sale as they don't feel they know enough about the plants. Thats why garden centres have such a responsibility to educate and inspire.
Where in the world are you?
Totally agree with this and I’m shocked at the quality of many centres in the UK compared to Australia. My local at home is a popular destination for weekend breakfasts, amazing coffee, beautiful views and a range of stunning plants including interesting natives I’ve never come across before. And modern, related homeware (like beautiful ceramic pots of all shapes and sizes).
I want to be able to turn to a staff member and have a technical question answered (like I do in B&Q). I don’t blame the staff for that though. Classes on flower arranging, planting a flower garden, building a raised bed, no-dig gardening, hugekultur, how to look after laying chickens, planting a window box etc would be so helpful. Even arty things like making ceramic planting tags would be fun. You’re on to something!
It's a shame I don't own a garden centre hey?! Should probably approach my local one to offer some workshops though!
You're making me want to brave the 24 hour flight to Aus just to go to the garden centre!
Love the ceramic plant tags idea 😍
I love this! I’ve got a tiny garden but I’m actually intimidated to do anything with it. I would definitely go to workshops at my local garden centre if they did them!
Come and join us in the Seed- we’ll help you take small steps to get started AND catch you when you fall. Because fuck ups happen often! 🌱😍
I agree completely about garden centres, generally the plant selection is very limited and overpriced. I love to go to garden openings and fetes as there are often unusual and cheaper plants and the money usually goes to charity,
I would just like to take issue with your rather ageist comment about the over 65’s , please don’t lump everyone in the last portion of their lives together! I’m 65 and today I’m wearing DM’s and 501’s and I’m a lot fitter than I was in my 20’s !
I am in France and most of the garden centres are much the same (but have got chickens and much less tat) but the independent nurseries and pépinières (of which there are many) are amazing!
I love the idea of 'buy this border' - that would be such an inspiration - I'm forever taking pictures of lovely borders but then don't know what half the plants are!
So many garden centres around where we lived in mid Kent closed down over the last few years. Previously to that, I used to love having a mooch but they were never particularly inspiring.
As a retailer of many years, I could see they were missing so many elements of basic shopkeeping! Didn't help that the company (mostly chains as you said) spent no money on the shop design, props or signage.
When your average unit price is under £10 you need to encourage customers to buy 3 or more things, through great visual merchandising, something exciting like workshops and actual customer service.
Quite! I can’t understand why the chain would bother to buy it in the first place if they had no intention of spending some money on it and try to turn it around.
All this talk of unit price is taking me back to my M&S days!
I was an M&S girl too! Canterbury. Then Gap during its heyday for 15 years then Apple for 7 more years. Where were you in M&S?
Bournemouth- at the out of town shopping centre castlepoint. I worked in the cafe- what about you?
Canterbury in Kent for 4 years on their early “Management Training Scheme” I think it was a city & guilds qualification 😁