Are we seeing the death of the garden centre?

I’m thinking firstly of the small garden centres you’d find in your town, sometimes nestled into an awkward sized plot, alongside railways arches and cuttings seemed good places. I like their individuality and charm, the fact that they’d order in a particular plant, phone around or recommend another place to go; often run by a mate. They felt so personable. For the romantics, we’d love it if they came with a cat, who’d sidled up to you as you were considering begonias (dragon or angel wings are always my dilemma). The cat attached emotion to the place, made it more memorable, more likely to see me again. Many family businesses found it hard to remain sustainable first after Brexit, then the covid fallout. They sold up, sometimes making way for new housing developments.

Some of the smart money, ahead of the curve, have established shops in urban settings that cater for a newfound explosion of gardening, particularly with millennials: indoor plants, and aesthetic goods that complement the inexorable greening of our spaces – candles, small statuary, plant pots and gifts - are all part of the proposition. They are trending, setting the tone in their social media narrative, finding reflection and validation of this new lifestyle.

In many cases the small, independent garden centre has ceded ground to the ‘destination shopping experience’. While some general stores, DIY emporia and supermarkets also stock limited seasonal sureties, many of the bigger, mega garden centres have realised the pull of the one-stop shop.

I’ve always loved a cake shop in a garden centre. What better reward after an arduous hour of plant buying than the comfort of a cuppa and a slice of homemade sponge. I’m in my happy place.

Retailers know that food and drink bring people. Instead of simply cake, those with the square meterage offer dining – from humble café style to pizzerias and bistro style meals. And it doesn’t stop there: furniture, pet shop goods, outdoor heating solutions, pergolas, fashion, gifts, chilled drinks and snacks at the checkouts… they make it hard for you to resist coming back. You leave with memories of a great day out. And that’s the point. You spread the word, leave a five-star review. Now they’re trending.

And then there’s the seasonal pull, especially Christmas. Traditionally Easter was the big money time for garden centres with December coming in second. As the unpredictability of weather makes gardening increasingly less reliable from year to year, retailers are learning to weather-proof their business by offering a range of non-gardening goods and experiences. You’re just as likely to find Santa’s grotto, an ice-rink or Christmas market, as you are a mini golf course or horse-riding on the site. Diversification is critical to keep the footfall coming. Going out to buy some plants in these spaces easily equates to a day out, with all the distractions they offer. Plants make up a fraction of the overall proposition – for some people it might not even figure. It's indicative of how ‘experience-led’ our lives and the economy are curated that multiple offers are compressed into one site.

But it’s not all doom and gloom for those of us who just want to go and buy plants and not be distracted by endless temptations. As Matthew Appleby from Horticulture Week recently said, over 1400 independent garden centres are still listed in their directory. A slight downturn from pre-covid numbers but encouraging all the same.

It’s strangely comforting to see moss growing out of the corner of a brick wall at a favourite garden centre in southeast London, or down in deepest Kent, walking along the gravel aisles, disturbing pebbles, searching for that elusive salvia, the view stretching across open fields. It’s almost a meditation, perfectly aligning with the gentle mission of plant buying and supporting small businesses.

Get in touch:

What is the future of the garden centre? Do you still go to buy your plants and garden goods from a shop or do you shop online? Let us know! Email us at: letters@gardenersworld.com

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• Do you like to embrace fashionable garden trends?
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