Just been to my local one for Poached Egg plant seeds, a quick longing look at lovely tools I cannot afford etc etc.
It seems I can buy paddling pools, patio sets (?) barbeques, chimeneeey something, candles, arty pots, watercolours, a cream tea, footballs, fleeces, and countless other stuff that has a vague link to gardening.
In fact....there is very little there for a "real" gardener to buy!!
Is it just me? >:(
Not just you. I can't tell you how bored I am with candles, dangly sparkly things, posh benches and £200 arbours, when all I actually want is a vegetable plant!
You just wait. Give it a week or two and you won't be able to move for Christmas tat in most garden centres. I've no idea what makes them think they should be the nation's purveyors of singing santas and crappy decorations for three months of the year. 'Tis not gardening.
;D
Thanks Speedy......had forgotten the festive seasonal orgy of tasteless singing santas....aaaarrrrrrrggggggghhh :'(
The last garden centre I set foot in had more dancing santas than seeds for sale. Never, ever use them now.
Glad I am not alone on this one! Just appealed to the people of Bedfordshire to tell me where I am going wrong on the locations thread!
I keep on going back to the same garden centre despite being quite disillusioned with what they sell, need ot get out of the comfort zone and explore some of the nurseries near us. I have never seen any vegetable plants in my nearest garden centre other than tomatoes, but they have the largest collection of pottery figures I have ever seen! ::)
...and not forgetting the pictures, dried plants, fish centre, sweets, houseplants, benches, restuarant, pools, books, greeting cards, pet homes......
Always use the local nurseries now!
I phoned a garden centre to check if they had any winter brassicas and they said they did not do veg after May/June as they needed space for Christmas stuff ;D
Wardy, at least yours knew what brassicas were....mine looked at me as if I was an alien when I enquired about Japanese Onion sets!!!!
>:(
SCENTED CANDLES!!!!! NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
lmao Pete. I forgot about those.....
One good thing about our local garden centre is the total lack of training of any of the staff on the tills! I used to correct them when they made mistakes, but then thought - hang on - not my fault if they have had no training.
Last weekend I bought a spade and fork, meant to be £11.90 EACH in the sale - she put them through 2 for £11.90. - bargain.
Also - some daff bulbs, there was a deal - two plant pots full for a £5. They are meant to empty the plant pots into a carrier bag, but she gave me the pots too, they were meant to be £3.99 each - so £13 worth of stuff for £5. Never occurred to her that that was wrong.
Happens pretty much every time we go there. Got a couple of 3m high obelisks for £1.20 once!
dasymay, what garden centre is it, i need to go and get some bargins too? ;)
Myself and Mr M went to a garden centre the other day, first time in ages - useless for plants as you all observe - trying to find some autumn veg - hopeless.
However, we did notice as we went towards the tills that whilst the smell of our local nursery is a kind of peaty, papery, oily, slightly animal organic smell, the unmistakable odour of the garden centre is....scented candles and pot pourri!!
We actually commented that the sight of perfect pot plants and trays of pansies and 'homemade' biscuits is irrevocably linked with the candles- bizarre.
RosieM
We are lucky enough to have a good old fashioned seed merchant here and although he has opened up the upstairs of the shop to ornaments and junk the downstairs is still full of seeds some of which you can still buy by the pint measure. Also he stocks really good tools and any remedy you need for plant diseases. Some times he also has bunches of brassicas, leeks, wallflowers, etc.
I remember being looked at strangely when I asked if they had any vermiculite. "what's that?" they asked. To be honest I had trouble explaining! WHen I asked for garden lime, they sent me in the direction of paints! I never buy plants from the big companies anymore. Local nurseries are much better. But as for veg plants - even my favourite nursery didn't have any this year.
Quote from: gayle on September 02, 2005, 09:24:37
dasymay, what garden centre is it, i need to go and get some bargins too? ;)
Frosts in Willington. Not too far from you maybe?? The Saturday staff are particularly useless so is the best time for bargains.
where abouts in Bedfordshire are you? where do you get your plants etc.. from?
Not garden centres, but at the Southport flower show, I just wanted to buy a plant. Saw some mini roses in pots and was in the process of picking one when I noticed greenfly. I commented to the person working the stall, and he said that they all have greenfly.
Hee hee ;D
[
where abouts in Bedfordshire are you? where do you get your plants etc.. from?
Quote
Im in ampthill [mid beds]
most of my stuff i get on the internet.
the garden centers are the same where i am, and over priced. :o
One day i will get this qoute thing sorted. ???
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.
Quote from: lancelotment on September 02, 2005, 16:40:40
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 (http://bestsmileys.com/yawning/2.gif)
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
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
;D
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.
Quote from: Icyberjunkie on September 01, 2005, 22:57:30
Always use the local nurseries now!
Yep, usually the smaller the better.
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
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.
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
We do have a garden centre/large nursery that is good as well - Whisby. The rest are rubbish.
;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.....
::)
Quote from: katynewbie on September 07, 2005, 00:48:40"There's no call for them" >:(
Hang on........I AM CALLING FOR THEM!!!!
Ahem..rant over.....breathe.....
;D ;D ;D
Quote from: redclanger on September 06, 2005, 20:34:14
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
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!
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.
Quote from: kitty on September 10, 2005, 16:40:26
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?
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
Quote from: kitty on September 11, 2005, 18:32:59
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!??"
glad you enjoyed it! ;D
did you try the ostrich>
its lovely! and redhills pork n' leek sosijis are great.......
if you mosey'd down to the shop incognito you may not have got the' full on kitty welcome'-i was cheesed off yesterday so no-one did!contemplating the amount of work i have to do in readyness for christmas....eek! >:(
Just had the pork and leek sausages on probably the last BBQ of the year. I asked at the LOGO stall if they knew you but to no avail. I think we'll be back again next month. Didn't try the ostrich by the way, 8 year old son was "Grossed-out"
well they bloomin well should!i fought hard enough with the farming lot to get them tolet on an amateur organisation!tsk! ::)thetre are a lot of new voluteers tho so i'll let them off!
grossed out?!!!they're just big chickins!
Right on, Kitty - had ostrich for Christmas dinner a couple of years ago - deeee-lish!