Having to traipse through garden centres pushing trollies of plants

My hubby works in a garden centre where you have to walk out through the gift shop to get to the tills. He will happily push your trolley through as long as not dealing with other customers. Unfortunately most garden centres have less staff than they used to and he is always busy They have been taken over by a large group but the plus side is they always have reduced plants and shrubs for customers to buy as they dont keep the plants once they have finished flowering but sell them off discounted even though the next year they will be stronger plants....many gardeners have benefitted from these reductions although hubby rather liked the old days when he could love and cherish them till they grew and survived went to a new home the next year! Ignore the gifts if you dont want them bag the bargains!! Indirectly as most of the plants are outside you have to go through somewhere to get to the tills and till staff would freeze sitting outside!!

well, I didn't mean for the tills to be actually outside [though it would be easier!] Just maybe not a winding mile would be nice.
I always look at the discounted plants [ the orphan shelf] and have had many a bargain there that needed tlc.

When my DD was little she used to call it 'the dead plant section'.

not quite sure what to say- it's your choice to go to a large garden-centre where you have to ... or not, surely? I much prefer smaller garden centres which are totally dedicated to plants only, and with staff who are very knowledgeable, and where I am not tempted to spend a fortune and calories on cake ...

teetime- just seen your comment about Gates- and yes, I've spent much good money and time there in the past! Some of it is on an incline though- and not easy with a trolleyful of plants ;) - will probably go there and visit when over in May

I agree, granjura. I was wondering what the problem was. Nobody needs to go to a garden centre chain.

Our local garden centre has owls, and hawks. However, the council also has a garden centre where we can go and buy plants at the same time as taking recycling.
That's a good use of time and fuel. Perhaps people should persuade their councils to do something similar if they haven't already. Most councils have gardening departments still.

never heard of a Council selling plants - if they raise their own, it's a great way of rasing money and use compost from local waste- brilliant.

We will actually spend a week at Rutland Water, so will probably go and visit Geoff Hamilton's Barnsdale and buy some plants to take home from there. His son and dil and staff are very good and May is a great time to visit the inspirational gardens there- always something new.

A few years ago I took one of my language students for a visit to a garden centre as part of his studies. He was a very enthusiastic, intelligent young man, but on this occasion was rather put out at having to visit a garden centre - telling me that in his home country of Slovakia they also have garden centres so he didn't see the point of visiting an English one. His jaw dropped when we entered and he saw the huge array of goods on offer, alongside the restaurant and food shop. He actually enjoyed the trip so much that he went away thinking that someone should import the idea into his home country.

I have just started buying plants on line from nurseries, at least that way you can buy the sort of plants you want. J Parkers have been good and the bare rooted shrubs I orded were safely packed.

The best GC near us is a huge one on the Staffs, Cheshire, Shropshire borders. It was privately owned until about 4/5 yrs ago when it was taken over by Wyedale Garden centers and since then it has turned into a rural retail outlet with all sorts of retailers taking over units there.
The actual range of plants has really deteriorated. It used to excellent for alpines but that side of the plant market has really deteriorated.

Making a business answerable to shareholders rather than its customers seem to change so many places for the worst.

We do not have a garden center local to us so I have to make do with places like Asda, Wilko and Tesco to buy my plants.

Nellie I too use the internet to buy direct from the nursery and have been sent really good plants.
When we visit DD we used to like visiting Dobbies but how disappointed I was last time as they have gone over to the 'long walk' and frankly I cannot do it. We would go for a coffee or for lunch in the middle of plant browsing but it is such a long walk nowadays as they have laid it out in a one way system, it just eats up my energy so we only went once. In any case it is not a garden centre any more it is merely a retail outlet. Now if we just think about it we get that sinking feeling.

I hardly think a council outlet for plants would have the huge choice of a really good garden cenre though, no complaints from me about the plants, we have bought gorgeous things at times, just think that wheeling a trolley of plants through every section of a shop is a bit barmy and tills could be sited differently.If Gates and Trago can do it then so can they all.
I like to do different visits for plants or goods, and never mix the two.
We have some great G centres that also have antiques outlets, and we spend a happy hour there rummaging.

Why should they? They are there to sell you things. They have share holders to placate now.
At least at my council garden centre I do not have the problem of which till to go to. And I don't have to start a thread complaining about it.

Oh for gods sake give your unpleasantness a rest djen

Save it for the political threads.

I'd love to see a Frank Spencer moment with a trolley crashing into a scented candle display then catapaulting various plants all over the organic chutney.

Sometimes the gap between displays is more than a little difficult to negotiate.

I'm with the OP on this one.

Birmingham Parks Department has won several Gold medals at Chelsea and sell a wide range of plants at their nursery in one of the city's parks. No cafe, candles or crafts!
Last year apparently the council allowed no budget for a Chelsea entry but one was there anyway. It commemorated 300 years of St Philip's Cathedral. It was surrounded by Perspex 'stained glass' panels sponsored by local families and businesses to cover the cost.

I try not to go to the Wyevale/Frosts/Dobbies type of GC if what I want is plants as although they have a massive selection, I am very put off by the tat garden ornaments, novelty items, clothes, stationery and bl**dyscented candles and all that.
We have a lovely little nursery just a mile outside the village, much of what they sell is home propagated, and very reasonable. They are helpful as well as knowledgeable and now also have a wonderful coffee shop/cafe with the sort of cakes you used to drive miles to a NT house for! You will always see somebody you know there too.
They will also deliver at no extra charge and a couple of years ago when I was redoing a border from scratch I chose my plants, but was about to go to Scotland for the weekend so they waited until we were due back before delivering the plants to the back garden and watering them before they left!!

Well, you are lucky Alea sounds like a great little nursery.Especially with cake.
Merlot I like the thought of a Frank Spencer moment !

So it's okay for you to say "I hardly think a council outlet for plants.....", is it, roses? You do get upset, don't you?
I thought it very snobby, and answered your point. They sell a big enough range for me to look round.
As Elrel says, it is possible for councils to have a big enough range to go to Chelsea, and sell the excess plants. In fact, if all councils did this, they would probably make money for their council works department.
Are there any other councils that do it?

Just looked at Birmingham Parks department, Elrel. Very impressive.
They've also won medals at RHS Tatton Park.

Sigh. Poor Roses! She tried to start a nice thread about garden centres and look what's happened....

Yes I know. Just seems as if people are just sitting there waiting for someone to come along they can have a go at. It's ridiculous.

Djen, don't you have things to moan about on the political threads?What on earth is the matter with you?
People LIKE garden centres, they like all the things they sell, they like meeting friends and having coffee and cake there.

Most people enjoy life.