What is so wonderful about garden centres?

R

Rose65

Well-known Member
Location
United Kingdom
I hate them.. Everything is overpriced , most especially the food and drink which is extortionate.
I feel obliged occasionally to go because family or friends love them and want a nice day out browsing.
Years ago a garden centre was just that, a useful place to get your plants and advice on all matters gardening. Now they are a place which is hard to categorise.
Garden centres always have loads of older people milling around, what is it they find so good? Apart from just being in a warm indoor pleasant environment?
 

Your post is interesting, because you describe a situation quite different from my experience here. The four or five garden centers I'm familiar with are mostly family-owned. They're helpful and informative, and their prices on seedlings, bedding plants, trees, berry-fruit canes, bulbs, etc are generally reasonable — especially when viewed in terms of the long-term value once things are planted in the home garden.

An exception, in certain ways, among those I've bought from is the one operated as a section of Walmart. Prices are comparatively low. But it runs a short season, starting in spring, and its staff are strictly cashiers and plant waterers, with very little knowledge. The other ones I trade with employ people with experience and a willingness to share it.
 
We used our gardens for a testing ground for native vegetables. We looked at the big company catalogs and found different kinds than they offered. We saved the seeds of the good producers and shared them locally. This was back then when there were seed savers. We had a good relationship with a couple who were botanists on the west coast. Of course they had different needs than us, but their interest in helping us find the good producers was great.
 

Paco Dennis said:
We used our gardens for a testing ground for native vegetables. We looked at the big company catalogs and found different kinds than they offered. We saved the seeds of the good producers and shared them locally. This was back then when there were seed savers. We had a good relationship with a couple who were botanists on the west coast. Of course they had different needs than us, but their interest in helping us find the good producers was great.
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The same thing has happened here. Friends still share seeds, bulbs, tubers, etc. for instance, we've shared raspberry root cuttings with friends. Also, there are provincial & local seed exchange events. Just the same, our garden centers can be useful.
 
The garden centers were indispensable for so much of our gardening needs through the season. Most everything can be ordered online. I think Amazon is getting it down to no longer than 3 days wait. Sometimes the stuff comes the next day here. It is Amazing at Amazon. It seems a little ironic. Gardening brings us so close to the earth, and now we are relying on getting our products from a massive brick and mortar conglomerate. You may ask...what's missing? I would say a way of life/culture.
 
Paco Dennis said:
The garden centers were indispensable for so much of our gardening needs through the season. Most everything can be ordered online. I think Amazon is getting it down to no longer than 3 days wait. Sometimes the stuff comes the next day here. It is Amazing at Amazon. It seems a little ironic. Gardening brings us so close to the earth, and now we are relying on getting our products from a massive brick and mortar conglomerate. You may ask...what's missing? I would say a way of life/culture.
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Have you worked with your County Extension Office?
 
Not so much anymore since I’m shrinking rather than expanding my garden but I used to stop and browse plant nurseries just to see how different plants looked at different times of the year. Prices have definitely gone up a lot but since I don’t really buy much of anything else I have enjoyed that indulgence. There are a couple of these near me where they also sell fancy coffee and nibbles. But the one I prefer is two acres with a huge variety and periodic events such as speakers, parties and book signings.
 
Nathan said:
? Just a place to buy plants....

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It sounds like some posters are thinking more along the line of nurseries or garden centers.
https://petalsfromthepast.com/ A place where you will get real advice, can attend workshops, enjoy seasonal food. It is part of the Master Gardener training.
https://www.dehner.de/unternehmen/einkaufserlebnis/garten-center/ The restaurant at the main store has a small but delightful menu and is priced for shoppers.
 
If 'they'd are truly a garden center...
( not the "garden center put-up" each Spring @ Home Depot..etc)
I have used 'them(real) for expert advice and they have been right!😉
 
Rose65 said:
I hate them.. Everything is overpriced , most especially the food and drink which is extortionate.
I feel obliged occasionally to go because family or friends love them and want a nice day out browsing.
Years ago a garden centre was just that, a useful place to get your plants and advice on all matters gardening. Now they are a place which is hard to categorise.
Garden centres always have loads of older people milling around, what is it they find so good? Apart from just being in a warm indoor pleasant environment?
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They, as you would, have every right to price their product as they see fit, including to price them out of realistic range.
Window shopping can be fun and inspiring.
 
My favorite nursery, formerly known as Annie's Annuals but rebranded now as Curious Flora, knew how to party with dress up, face painting, food, music and dance:

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Twostep said:
Have you worked with your County Extension Office?
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Yes. Often. We had many questions about many aspects of planting, feeding, and harvesting. They were always very helpful. We live near the University of Missouri, and they also had an extension division for gardening. Our vegetable gardens were very big from 1990 till about 2005. We have slowed down to a volunteer cherry tomato plant, and one zucchini start. We got a ton of little tomato's! :)
 
Paco Dennis said:
Yes. Often. We had many questions about many aspects of planting, feeding, and harvesting. They were always very helpful. We live near the University of Missouri, and they also had an extension division for gardening. Our vegetable gardens were very big from 1990 till about 2005. We have slowed down to a volunteer cherry tomato plant, and one zucchini start. We got a ton of little tomato's! :)
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Gardening is such hard - happy - work. I had to cut down on my gardening after I was 67. I did a yard landscape that was...well, my eyes were bigger than my stomach should I say? Am sad, as I get older, can't get up and down, spend so much time in the sun as I used to.
 
CooCooforCoCoPuffs said:
Gardening is such hard - happy - work. I had to cut down on my gardening after I was 67. I did a yard landscape that was...well, my eyes were bigger than my stomach should I say? Am sad, as I get older, can't get up and down, spend so much time in the sun as I used to.
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why specifically 67 , may I ask ?... how old are you now ?.. Do you still garden ?:)
 
hollydolly said:
why specifically 67 , may I ask ?... how old are you now ?.. Do you still garden ?
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Sure you may ask!
My next birthday I will be the "Big 70".
I still design and garden, probably will never stop such.
Pick ax, shovel, rake; repeat. Nov-Mar is when one gardens most in Tucson.
I planted eight trees (good size, too) and six good shrubs in November this year.
I still have 48 bags of mulch waiting to spread out back.

Until I was 67 I also did hard scapes by hand: laying up rock walls, digging foundations for walls, hauling soils, leveling, laying riprap, stone walks, brick walks...without bobcats, etc as I didn't want to pay for such!

What happened is I got heat stroke when I was nearly 67. I was working from 0600 until about 3:30-4 one afternoon non-stop, it was a very hot summer day in July. Texas has high heat AND high humidity. I should have known better, and had neglected to stay hydrated and take breaks. Am rather a workaholic. So I ended up very sick and it lasted nearly two weeks.

That heat stroke ended my heavy gardening stuff and living in Texas humidity, for sure. Once one has heat stroke it makes some people sensitive to high humidity and heat. Then my maintaining that yard was a huge burden, as my DH does not garden at all.
 
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I'm a big fan of Garden centres @Rose65 ...I agree they are overpriced.. but they're ..at least the ones here are so well laid out, so beautiful inside ad out.. with albeit ( pricey) every plant you could wish..and everything for the garden, sheds, arbours.. garden furniiture of all types in one place... beautiful items for inside the home, even including furtniture now.. and clothing ... not to mention some lovely cafe's and restaurants..very often outdoors too

It's little wonder that people flock to them every weekend , for under one roof.. there is everything to sate the gardener's appetite..

Nurseries otoh, which is where I personally go when I want to buy only plants, or fencing .. are a different kettle of fish
 
Rose65 said:
I hate them.. Everything is overpriced , most especially the food and drink which is extortionate.
I feel obliged occasionally to go because family or friends love them and want a nice day out browsing.
Years ago a garden centre was just that, a useful place to get your plants and advice on all matters gardening. Now they are a place which is hard to categorise.
Garden centres always have loads of older people milling around, what is it they find so good? Apart from just being in a warm indoor pleasant environment?
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apparently garden centers are quite different where you are!

Ours don't have food and drink unless they were have a sale (and called in the food trucks).
 
CooCooforCoCoPuffs said:
Sure you may ask!
My next birthday I will be the "Big 70".
I still design and garden, probably will never stop such.
Pick ax, shovel, rake; repeat. Nov-Mar is when one gardens most in Tucson.
I planted eight trees (good size, too) and six good shrubs in November this year.
I still have 48 bags of mulch waiting to spread out back.

Until I was 67 I also did hard scapes by hand: laying up rock walls, digging foundations for walls, hauling soils, leveling, laying riprap, stone walks, brick walks...without bobcats, etc as I didn't want to pay for such!

What happened is I got heat stroke when I was nearly 67. I was working from 0600 until about 3:30-4 one afternoon non-stop, it was a very hot summer day in July. Texas has high heat AND high humidity. I should have known better, and had neglected to stay hydrated and take breaks. Am rather a workaholic. So I ended up very sick and it lasted nearly two weeks.

That heat stroke ended my heavy gardening stuff and living in Texas humidity, for sure. Once one has heat stroke it makes some people sensitive to high humidity and heat. Then my maintaining that yard was a huge burden, as my DH does not garden at all.
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we are the same age, my 70th birthday will be in Spring..... and I still garden too.. altho' this last summer was the first time Ive called in extra help in the form of tree surgeons and had quite a few of my trees and high shrubs lopped or totally chopped down, because they had become to high , and too sprread out for me to handle alone..

All this after my husband and I seperated, and i'm not going thrugh a long drawn out expensive divorce..up until then we both worked the garden but he did most of the heavy work..


I know about heat stroke, it's a horror, I got it in 2019 in Seville Spain under 43 deg heat.. i would hate to live in a climate where I'd have to garden in that type of heat...so I feel for you in that situation

I have a 2nd home in Southern Spain but it's on a gated community so gardeners are employed.. ..However, here I still garden myself..but I'm happy to know that the tree surgeons ate on hand whenever I need them
 

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