Lockdown.

[ludwigvan]

Can someone please explain to me how Garden Centres can be classed as essential businesses?

[rockyracoon]

Maybe because they sell pest control stuff? No idea otherwise.

[bobbinwales]

Ours sells fresh meat and cheese etc from a local farm but am not sure why they should stay open, although if there outdoors mainly the risk is less. They can get pretty busy though and if people have those big trolleys with plants and peat etc it can get awkward. Best to keep away

[Ken4155]

With people being 'confined to barracks', so to speak, their only escape may be to tend their gardens.

[emmie]

no idea im afraid, there seems to be anomalies all over the place. Perhaps some need to tend their gardens, only recreation they may get, or their allotments,

[bobbinwales]

Its hard to keep track but am pretty sure garden centres in wales are closed now

[ludwigvan]

If I was of a cynical disposition I might suspect someone of influence had a financial interest in keeping them open.

[emmie]

like who ?

[sherrardk]

In the last lockdown, the place where I work closed at 9pm rather than 10pm so fingers crossed that this will happen again :).

[emmie]

closing at 10pm is pretty late? do you work in a shop

[ludwigvan]

Hi Emmie,no idea, I’m just at a loss as to why they are allowed to remain open,I would be hard pressed to think of a less essential business. P.S. I hope you are feeling better.

[Sunk]

Garden centres and nurseries were closed in the first lockdown and there was much criticism about that.
The Government relented and in the second (and now the third) lockdowns they were exempted.

It could be that growing our own vegetables keeps us out of the supermarkets and garden centres sell the essentials for doing that.

[sherrardk]

Yes Emmie, I don’t mind working late but finishing early just feels like a bit of a treat.

[AuntPollyGrey]

Our village Co-op normally opens at 7am and closes at 10 pm . Now its closing at 8 pm.

Garden centres often sell 'necessities -firwood, fire lighters, coal, even pet food, so why should they not stay open?

[emmie]

thats good sherr, still seems late but hope it goes ok -

i think if people can't get out much due to lockdown then garden centres are a godsend to stock up on new planting, come the spring, and summer months, i guess

[AuntPollyGrey]

Our local garden centres have very few plants in them. The guy said its because the wholesale nurseries cannot supply them. The only Garden centre full of plants near me grows their own, but I know a lot just buy them in as plugs and they can't get hold of any. many come from the EU so Brexit and bad weather/Covid won't help.

[Prudie]

Life is tough enough without stopping people tending to their gardens, it certainly did have an effect on people's mental wellbeing when they were shut in the first lockdown. And if you have a garden you'd know it's not a stop start thing, planning for the future is needed all year round. Well done to the government for letting them stay open I say - the chances of catching covid wandering round the plants is virtually nil anyway.,

[alavahalf]

As a rule I would have bought all my seeds this week.. all from one supplier online, even they are closed. Something else a bit strange, the ones who do have some seeds are charging at least twice the price if not more!

[malagabob]

Garden Centres are closed here in Wales. Went to a what you might call a furniture,general purpose store That arguably sell food stuff yesterday, their garden centre areas metal roller doors were shut.