Groves Garden Centre in Bridport has published the following very well worded e-mail to it's customers explaining why they are open during Lockdown 3:
Serving our local community
We are privileged to be able to remain open during the January 2021 lockdown.
Garden centres have been classed as an essential shop, and this is not a responsibility we have taken lightly. Our aim is to provide the safest possible shopping environment for our wonderful customers and fabulous team during this difficult time. January is a quiet time in the garden centre anyway so there will always be plenty of space for you to shop safely.
Please ensure that you follow our guidelines when visiting
- We ask that you sanitise your hands before entering and that you wear a face covering at all times.
- Please keep your distance from us and each other.
- Please only handle goods you intend to buy.
- Please pay by debit/credit card and where possible use the contactless facility. There is a £45 limit for cards and a £500 limit for iPhone/Android pay.
- Please step back from the tills to give our till operators the distance to be able to scan your items safely.
In these difficult times remember that gardening is great for the soul, body and mind. Even in bad weather, seasonal houseplants and patio containers are wonderful to brighten up your home.
January and February are great months to take stock and plan your garden for the season ahead. We have seed potatoes, onion sets, shallots and all of the vegetable seeds you need for you to grow your own food this year.
We also offer an extensive rage of pet and farm food, wild bird food as well as household fuel such as logs and coal.
As we are all required to spend more time at home, we hope you will find your garden remains a relaxing place of calm and well-being and a good source of exercise for the body and mind. If you are able to visit us, we will make sure our garden centre is a safe place to shop during lockdown.
We understand that some might not be comfortable visiting so please remember that we also offer a home delivery and click and collect service. You can order items online or by telephone, 01308 422654 and both of these can be completely contact free.
- Groves Nurseries in Bridport will be open 8am until 5pm Monday until Saturday 10am until 4pm Sunday.
- Little Groves is closed for its annual winter break and will reopen on the 1st February
- Ivy House & The Cabin are closed until the lifting of COVID restrictions allow us to reopen.
Stay safe and look after each other
Charlie, Becky, Clive, Di and the whole of the Groves Team xxx
A few garden centres have taken the opportunity to close all or part of their centre for the rest of January:
- Coolings are closing all 4 centres with just a delivery service in operation, Their Green & Pleasant Centre is being re-furbished during this period.
- Baytree have closed all but their Planteria, Farm Shop and Pet department but are running a full click & collect and delivery service.
Meanwhile the HTA and GCA have issued the following statement this afternoon:
“We support all efforts to contain and eliminate this virus. We recognise that it is unsettling times for the industry, staff and customers. Garden centres offer so many real benefits to people wrestling with the impact of this pandemic. We have seen from the huge interest in gardening since the last lockdown how engaged consumers are with gardening – this carried on in to the winter months.
"Gardening provides mental and physical health benefits, garden centres being open supports British growers and local communities and keeps people at home with something to do. First class social distancing measures are in place in light and airy environments.
"We will continue to make the case to Governments in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland for garden centres to be reopened at the earliest opportunity”.
