Allotments 4 All
Produce => Edible Plants => Topic started by: Plot69 on February 24, 2009, 17:20:49
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Went down the river this morning to check up on the boat, make sure it was still afloat after all the winter white stuff we've had. On the way home my wife said "Lets stop at Nottcuts on the way home"
Stewart heated thermostatically controlled propagators, £10 quid cheaper than everywhere else... Always fancied one of those. Bought it!
Raspberries, Glen Ample, RHS award. Wow, they look healthy... Been thinking of renewing my aging, inherited raspberries for a while. Bought some!
Vermiculite. They've been talking about that on A4A... Never tried it, wonder what it's like. Bought some!
Seeds, 100's of them... Most of them I've never grown before. Bought some!
Quilting book... Missus is into quilting, said "I like this book" Bought it!
Fancy pink wickerwork trug like basket for putting quilting stuff in... Missus liked it. Bought it!
Loads of other pretty (Junk) the Missus liked. Bought it!
Beginning to wish I'd spent the day sitting in my shed. At least that would only have cost me the price of three tea bags and a kettle full of water.
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;D Can be an expensive trip out can't it... :)
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;D Can be an expensive trip out can't it... :)
My Missus think The Credit Crunch is some type of breakfast cereal.
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My Missus think The Credit Crunch is some type of breakfast cereal.
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;D ;D ;D
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Can I come shopping with you Plot 69 you seem like a very generous man !! ;D
Duke ;)
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Can I come shopping with you Plot 69 you seem like a very generous man !! ;D
Duke ;)
Fraid not, I only take very generous women with me. :-*
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I worked at a garden centre for 15 years,had to leave because it was costing me more to work there than i was getting in wages LOL ;D
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We went to the garden centres today too.
All we did was laugh at the prices because we know loads of places where we can get the same at a fraction of the price.
Any one who buys vermiculite deserves it. What the heck is it for, other than to take money off people?
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All we did was laugh at the prices because we know loads of places where we can get the same at a fraction of the price.
Which begs the question... Why waist all that petrol going somewhere for absolutely no reason whatsoever when you could have gone somewhere else and got something and saved money on both fronts?
Or did you go just for a laugh? ::)
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Went for a rece to my local garden center today, tomorrow is 10% off for us OAPs.
I want a new 4 tier plastic green house. £24.99. :o :o Off to Wilcco's tomorrow. ::)
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We are terrible. Only dare go to garden centers with cash. We now leave the debit card behind. Who knows what sort of stuff we would buy if not. I went out to buy seed potatoes (set my mind on 3 types) ended up with 6 varieties, 5 growbags, netting, fleece and seeds. Have never spent so much in one go.
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Yes but you had fun ;D ;D
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My missus says she goes shopping because she needs stuff. When I ask her what she needs, her reply is " I won't know until I see it"
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Went for a rece to my local garden center today, tomorrow is 10% off for us OAPs.
I want a new 4 tier plastic green house. £24.99. :o :o Off to Wilcco's tomorrow. ::)
Try Focus, 4 tier were reduced to £10.00.
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It amazes me just how much stuff you can buy in Garden Centres which has nothing to do with gardens ! Furniture, crockery, clothes, greetings cards, Xmas rubbish, etc but you can't buy a lawnmower at most of them !
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I love garden centres.
I have to drive past one most days and if funds are low I do my best not to go in.
Guarantee I will see something I really must have. ;D
By the time I have driven to wilkos and paid for parking I would not be saving much.I do stock up if I happen to be by one though.
If you go round the garden centre you feel you have had an outing..............don't get that feeling in the cheaper shops.
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In my local garden centre you have to walk for what seems like half a mile through loads of candles, baubles etc. to get to any plants, but there are loads of plants to choose from. 10% off on Tuesdays for anything and 10% off every day for anything for the allotment is a good wheeze by the owners. You end up buying much more than you would otherwise.
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Well I spent the day at my plot yesterday and yes, horror of horrors, I planted my raspberries on a flower day! Thought I'd better get them in before Armageddon
Today after paying the bills in the bank, my Missus wanted to go to John Lewis to look at material and girly sewing stuff so I went back to nottcuts because I wanted some more raspberry canes, enough to do another row.
Oh yes, and while I was there I bought a new cover for my mini greenhouse, some onion sets, four more packets of seeds and why the hell I wanted a Dahlia tuber I'll never know but the colour looked nice so I bought one anyway!
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69, you do make me laugh, i am keeping your message away from hubby, we went to VAN HAGUES garden centre Tuesday just to get a couple of bits & pieces, but there are so many things you need you just don`t know untill you see them ;D ;D ;D, then we ended up having lunch, need to remortgage for that,i had a great day saw some lovely things & new plants that i needed !!!! just did not know it,till then ;D dear hubby bless his heart will recover in a couple of weeks just in time for a spring visit :o :o :o. ;D ;D ;D
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No other interest, except '' I love Nottcuts '' , have one close by, they look up plant names for me,
all thier plants are healthy, bit more to pay - but then you get what you pay for.
Also have bought several Birthday and Wedding presents from thier gift and home section,
also buy plants from Aldi and Wilko
-- there you go ! ;D
floss xxx
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Hi Rosebud. If you get your husband to tag along behind you in the sewing, knitting and material department of John Lewis for two hours I'm sure he'll come to appreciate garden centers a bit more.
Flossy. I have a Barn GC within 10 minutes walk from where I live, a Wyvale 20 minutes by car and a Nottcuts 10 minutes by car and I think your right. The quality of plants, at least at my Nottcuts, is very good and I love walking round there.
The only problem with Nottcuts is, as someone mentioned earlier, before you get to the gardening section, there's far too much poofy stuff like bath balls, vases, plastic flowers, paintings, ornaments and all that other rubbish that has absolutely nothing to do with gardening.
Might as well toddle along behind the Missus in John Lewis :-\
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Wyvale are just as bad for the "non-gardening" rubbish. It is still an expensive visit to a GC when both of us are into plants... ;D
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It amazes me just how much stuff you can buy in Garden Centres which has nothing to do with gardens ! Furniture, crockery, clothes, greetings cards, Xmas rubbish, etc but you can't buy a lawnmower at most of them !
The gardening season lasts from March to July, may be a bit longer, but certainly less than 6 months a year. Outside that the GCs have more staff than customers. Makes sense to sell other things during the quiet period eg Xmas.
Lawn mowers are hardware. If you want hardware, go to a hardware store. Some GCs sell lawn mowers, but only those brands which are gardening brands (ie expensive).
During the growing season, theres alot more profit to be had selling plants/seeds than there is hardware. So given the choice ...
In my local garden centre you have to walk for what seems like half a mile through loads of candles, baubles etc. to get to any plants ...
Just outside Lincoln, there was a GC that used to only sell gardening stuff. But then a couple of years ago they had a great new extension built. Now, as you say you have to walk though miles of junk to get to the plants. I quite often ask "Do you still sell pants because I cant find them inbetween all this brick-a-brack."
No other interest, except '' I love Nottcuts ''
I find the prices in Nottcuts, South Birmingham way over the top. Yes they do provide a 'nice shopping experience', but I'd rather go to the local (cheaper) independent.
I only go to Nottcuts to laugh at their prices and the people who pay them, oh, and to read their large range of books so I know what to buy off Amazon (via A4A)
Still, if the buying experience gives them pleasure theres nothing wrong with that. Its what life is all about.
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I am not allowed to go to garden centres - if I want to look at plants / seeds etc. in Focus I have to run away while hubby is distracted!! I have never been to Notcuts :-(
I am a bit envious of all you lucky people who are allowed to go, even if it costs you a small fortune!
Helen x
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Go on then Pesky Wabbit, have good laugh at me -- ;D -- don't give '' a monkies ''
Happily in our's [ N....... ] we get to go through the whole plant , gardening , bulbs , herbs , chicken
and bulb experience -- before we get to the ' adornments '' which you can sail through -
--- straight to the checkout. ;D
floss xxx
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I only go to Nottcuts to laugh at their prices and the people who pay them,
Not sure if I should take offense to that or not.
I've spent well over hundred quid in Nottcuts this week, what exactly is it your trying to say?
I'm more than happy with everything I've bought in there and don't begrudge a penny of it.
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I am not allowed to go to garden centres - if I want to look at plants / seeds etc. in Focus I have to run away while hubby is distracted!! I have never been to Notcuts :-(
I am a bit envious of all you lucky people who are allowed to go, even if it costs you a small fortune!
Helen x
You brought a lump to my throat now. Why are you not allowed to go, or is that question a bit sensitive?
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Flossy, you go ahead, enjoy yourself. Its whats life is about ;D
Some people "do" chocolit;
Some "do" shoes;
Some "do" garden centres.
I "do" seeds (and A4A). :-[
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and I do vouchers ;D Had a sizeable wad for my birthday last year, and have been anxiously waiting for stuff to be available. Today I cheered myself up with a gooseberry bush, some autumn fruiting raspberries and some seed compost ..oh and a new fork. I was so happy;D ;D If I feel like a miserable old bat, a walk round our local Garden Center cheers me up no end-even if I don't buy.
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Do you still sell pants - This really made my day Pesky Wabbit.I spend a lot of time in Garden Centres-love them, but never come across a pair of pants.
On Another point our wilko's plants are always dead.I've often wondered if I took them to the till if the girl would charge me for them.The garden centre costs a bit more but at least the quality is good and you get good advice.
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On Another point our wilko's plants are always dead.I've often wondered if I took them to the till if the girl would charge me for them.The garden centre costs a bit more but at least the quality is good and you get good advice.
I have to agree. While Nottcuts do sell all that other stuff, they are primarily a garden center and the plants are their main concern. My Mrs bought me an apple and a pear tree from Morrisons earlier in the week. While they both look OK I'm not too sure about the quality. It doesn't seem right putting a tree in my trolly from one aisle and a pound of cheese and frozen chicken from the next. I have every faith that the chicken and cheese are perfectly fine but I'm not placing too much faith in the trees.
Time will tell. Each to his own I suppose.
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You guys are so lucky. Wish I could afford to buy things at the garden centre. Mind you if I had a fortune I'd spend it all in there ha ha
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Have got to say " I don't hate garden centres " because ---
I can enter another world where I am totaly at peace, I love looking at the flowers
.. the shrubs , herbs ,trees .... fountains , patios , mock ruins [ very clever ], tubs, and
bird tables, --- plants I would love to have but havn't got room for or can't afford, I like to look
at all the mock and real stone , imagining what I would make with them, the wooden seats
and arbours ......... a cup of tea in the tea room and chose a special greeting card for someone,
... then come home , totaly satisfied , with ... my greeting card . Lovely ;)
floss xxx
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Have got to say " I don't hate garden centres "
When I said I hate Garden Centers I didn't really mean I hate Garden Centers. It was an ironicism.
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I know, I know -- ironic I do , just me having a moment -- tis allowed - :D
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I do love garden centres but agree about all the non-gardening rubbish they sell. I can understand they need to sell something during the lean winter months to keep going, but why must it all be so horrible? Yucky ornaments and hideous abstract artworks. You never see this stuff on sale anywhere else...is there a special factory somewhere turning out low-season overpriced garden centre crud?? Who on earth buys it???
Anyway (rant over) even though I know that seeds are cheaper in Wilkos and there is more choice online, there's just something about those racks of seed packets that I can't resist...and also, you can't get Bordeaux mixture in Wilkos.
PS if you are the person who does buy the ornaments etc mentioned above, then please don't take offence, it's just my opinion, each to their own, beauty is in the eye of the beholder etc. And thanks for keeping garden centres in business. ;)
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Garden centres no! Nurserymen Yes!
Plants direct from the local grower good value ,rhubarb 3 litre pots £2.50, proper usefull advice and buy lots and u can a great deal...5 £12 apple trees £50.
I know 3 such horticultural gold mines down here in Kent one is a stones throw from a Wyvale. guess where I spend my hard earnt
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Plot 69, my lovely Bramley apple tree from Morrisons had four apples the first year and about 8 to 10 last year, perhaps more but I took the smaller ones off the tree. Morrisons are brilliant for hanging baskets, bedding plants, trees etc. etc. My little fir trees from a hanging basket from Morrisons have now grown too big on the allotment, they are taller than me and I have to trim them. Their own brand seeds (used to be 4 for a £1) are better than the more expensive ones. I know that they do not do the exotic seeds, but their courgettes, PSB, spring onions, beetroot etc. etc are just as good if not better than the more expensive ones. Also good for compost. I do not work there or have shares but I just love Morrisons, go almost every day.
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The garden centres at Crews Hill made quite an interesting ride out for mother-in-law when she was in an old peoples home and we took her out in the wheel chair on a Sunday. She loved gardening so had a good look round and a cup of tea and a cake and then we took her back to the home. We also used to take the children out to the butterfly house (which I think no longer exists) and the fish shop (not fried). Also at Christmas they have reindeer and put on a good display of Christmas lights etc. It is certainly very busy on a Sunday afternoon and certainly more enjoyable than food shopping or the dreaded B & Q or Ikea.