Open garden centres & nurseries for food growing

More than ever people are concerned about food security. I have already began converting the grass in my small urban garden to food growing. I have had trouble sourcing seeds, veg plants and even compost. B&Q has limited supplies (one hour in a Q to get on the website and 2 weeks for click & collect), whereas garden centres across Scotland are really struggling and may have to close.

Why the contribution is important

Address food security and small business support by opening garden centres and nurseries.

by LMcAll on May 07, 2020 at 04:02PM

Current Rating

Average rating: 4.6
Based on: 20 votes

Comments

  • Posted by gillwollers May 07, 2020 at 16:11

    Locally we have independent DIY stores open with social distancing, click and collect etc., which is working very well. I have concerns about bigger retailers opening and not being as vigilant as others

  • Posted by LMcAll May 07, 2020 at 16:54

    It has been very hard to find seeds and growing material from the larger stores as they are always sold out for click & collect. For this reason and to support local growers, the smaller garden centres and nurseries would be allowed to open.

  • Posted by SusanKruse May 07, 2020 at 17:11

    Yes, please open, as long as social distancing is built in. without this, our small garden centres are going to fold. And let's not underestimate the pleasure the gardens can provide

  • Posted by Scotswede May 07, 2020 at 18:45

    There is much benefit to loosening restrictions on garden centres.

    But some caution needed:
    - not all garden centres are equal - whilst many are just plant nurseries, many more are established cafes/shopping experiences/visitor attractions and play parks.

    - Likelihood of a rush on opened garden centres - potential for queues/traffic/difficulty keeping social distancing - queuing traffic a particularly danger where garden centres are located in a rural environment.

    Solutions:
    - visits by appointment only (easier to manage numbers/limit traffic)

    - click and collect (already being done by some independent nurseries - again easier to manage numbers on site/limit traffic/allows businesses to manage demand)

    -only plant and garden product sales- no gift shop/cafe/playground opening

    - All social distancing measures in place including limiting to one/two members of the household (allows trips to be semi-essential and not a 'day out', helps to manage patron numbers and enforce social distancing restrictions)

  • Posted by JoysieJ May 07, 2020 at 19:03

    Yes, please open garden centres and shops - allow people to grow more food and help with food security. Also great for mental wellbeing and getting back to nature.
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