How are garden centres coping with the current cold weather? Stoically, and with humour, of course...
Paul Cooling, Coolings, Kent: “If this weather and resultant lack of customers continues much longer you’ll find me hanging from a tree!.”
Brian Archibald, Coolings: “It has been a diabolical start to the season and Easter does not look promising. We are hit more than others due to the lack of covered space. However ,April was rubbish last year (30% down), so we keep our fingers crossed.”
Editor’s note: Because the plants grown on site represent a large precentage of sales, Coolings are classified as a farm shop and can therefore trade on Easter Sunday.
Jonathan Read,Podington Garden Centre: “I’m thinking of going straight to Christmas stocking now and skipping the rest of the year! Maybe we should have left last Christmas stock out.”
Martin Davies, Raglan Garden Centre: “I’ve been been looking through my weather notes. At the end of March last year I noted: big change in temperatures, dropped to 11C, poor trade. What I would give for 11C now!”
