Garden Centres Grrrrrr

[gayle]

One day i will get this qoute thing sorted. ???

[gayle]

[lancelotment]

I think I should apologise to everybody.  It's my dad's fault.  Well, people like him at least.  He has every kind of singing, jumping, flashing, dancing type of santa that has been invented.  He's 75 and says it's for the kids but who he thinks he's fooling I'm not sure.

[redimp]

I think I should apologise to everybody.  It's my dad's fault.  Well, people like him at least.  He has every kind of singing, jumping, flashing, dancing type of santa that has been invented.  He's 75 and says it's for the kids but who he thinks he's fooling I'm not sure.

I have a mother in law like that - hose full of tat and the TV permanently tuned to bid up TV

[wardy]

That struck a chord with me RC   I once went to collect a mate for a night out and went in to her parent's house while she got ready.  I looked round at all the decoration in the front room and commented that the Christmas trimmings looked nice - til I realised it was still the end of November!  It wasn't trimmed up for Christmas at all!  It was full of tat - I've never seen so much stuff - that and antimacassars and doyleys on everything. Even on her husband I shouldn't wonder  :o

[Derek]

Perhaps it comes with age Wardy  ;)  ;D

I dread that I may reach the point where I have this intense desire to buy... a singing Santa...heaven forbid..  AAGGHH

Derek

[wardy]

 ;D

[ipt8]

Nurseries can be much better for proper gardening.
Perhaps garden centres should be given awards for having the plants that you want at the right time of year.

[spacehopper]

Always use the local nurseries now!

Yep, usually the smaller the better.

[Linda]

I heard a horrifying statistic that maybe explains why GCs are so useless for proper gardeners. Their profits fall roughly into quarters:
25% sundries (and all year round tat)
25% coffee shop (!!)
25% christmas (!!!!!!)
25 % plants, bulbs, seeds :'(

I was told this by a wholesaler who supplies GCs, so it must be somewhere near.

Love and compost
Linda

[BAGGY]

I hate GCs with a vengence.  The one I went to recently even had a butcher (crap meat though, not speciality stuff), florist,candles, jam/fudge/cake stall, double glazing,  saunas, and poked in a corner between the pet stuff and the over priced china dolls (don't even go there)was a few racks of seeds and some seed trays.

[daveandtara]

ok, i feel the need to buck the trend a little here, play devil's advocate for a while  ;D
in gravesend there is a millbrook gc. they sell lots of veg plants and loads of seeds. the staff are genuinely helpful and will source and order pretty much anything you ask for. large, perrenials carry a two year guarentee.
they do sell all that other stuff, and they have a posh coffee shop, but that just means i can take my parents and kids with me and they won't get bored while i spend hours looking at seeds!
i've spent many a delightful afternoon there.

okay, sorry, i'll shut up  :-[
Tara xx

[redimp]

We do have a garden centre/large nursery that is good as well - Whisby. The rest are rubbish.

[katynewbie]

 ;D ;D ;D
I wish I lived somewhere else now!! Forgot to say that when I asked about Japanese Onion sets the woman said "There's no call for them" >:(
Hang on........I AM CALLING FOR THEM!!!!
Ahem..rant over.....breathe.....
  ::)

[Mubgrub]

"There's no call for them" >:(
Hang on........I AM CALLING FOR THEM!!!!
Ahem..rant over.....breathe.....

;D ;D ;D

[petemason]

We do have a garden centre/large nursery that is good as well - Whisby. The rest are rubbish.

Yes, Whisby's fine but P******s at the bottom of the Lincoln by-pass fits all the descriptions in this discussion. GRRRRRRRRRRRRRR

[kitty]

hang on!.....clanger..pete-you been to whisby since they put up the aircraft hanger?its starting to get full of tat-they are even selling plastic plants for conservatories ::)
and they havent got any japanese onions either.
its becoming more like*ennels* everyday!

[Maddy]

It's not just the garden centre staff who don't know their prices (or their onions  ;D) I got two great bargains from B & Q this year, including a set of 3 large pots that should have been £19.99 for 99p.  Who am I to correct the girl on the till, especially when she'd just made me walk all the way back to their garden centre to get one with the price on...like that helped! 

My local garden centre isn't too bad but a little overloaded with ornamental Winnie the Pooh and other Disney rubbish  >:( :(

M.

[petemason]

hang on!.....clanger..pete-you been to whisby since they put up the aircraft hanger?its starting to get full of tat-they are even selling plastic plants for conservatories ::)
and they havent got any japanese onions either.
its becoming more like*ennels* everyday!

No, I haven't been in there Kitty but I have seen the aircraft hanger! I'll stay clear. Any Lincs Garden Centres or Nursery's you could recommend?

[kitty]

a nursery thats very good for plants(but not accessories or veg,its a nursery)..is hall farm nursery at harpswell.i rely on wilkos for seeds and sets-veg plant from the allotment soc. sale in may or the farmers market at the right time in castle square 3rd saturday every month-the lincs organic gardeners have a stall (and always want new members!)and sell surplus plants  and veg,cheese and eggs and there are always one or two plant stalls there-herbs and perennials..
*kitty blushes modestly and circles toe in dirt*
its a market close to my heart cos i started it about4 years ago ;D

[petemason]

a nursery thats very good for plants(but not accessories or veg,its a nursery)..is hall farm nursery at harpswell.i rely on wilkos for seeds and sets-veg plant from the allotment soc. sale in may or the farmers market at the right time in castle square 3rd saturday every month-the lincs organic gardeners have a stall (and always want new members!)and sell surplus plants and veg,cheese and eggs and there are always one or two plant stalls there-herbs and perennials..
*kitty blushes modestly and circles toe in dirt*
its a market close to my heart cos i started it about4 years ago ;D

..........and very good it was too Kitty. We made our first visit yesterday and came away with some fudge (eaten before we got back to the car), 3 different types of sausages, some honey, a LOGO membership application form and a son saying (adopt Peter Kay voice) "Ostrich!!!.........burgers!??"