A day at the garden centre

A day in our shop often starts early,
before the first customer has even walked in. Buying calls for a sharp eye, so I go through the digital auction clocks or check the direct-purchase rounds to secure the finest seasonal products, houseplants and shrubs. Not long after, the lorries arrive full of fresh plants, trees and pottery. We unload them straight away and immediately check that the quality and quantities are right. Before we open, we first do a fixed round through the shop: watering plants, removing faded flowers and setting the range out neatly again. The aisles are swept clean and we make sure the newest seasonal products catch the eye right at the entrance, so that everything looks well cared for again every morning.

As soon as the doors open, the focus shifts entirely to the shop floor, service and contact with people. Whether it’s the right plant for that dark corner of the living room, pruning rules for hedges, a lovely bouquet for a birthday or good soil for the vegetable patch: we always help with a smile, and many people come back especially for that personal advice. Our range changes constantly with the time of year and the shop regularly gets a makeover. In spring we fill everything with bedding plants and summer bloomers, in autumn you see pumpkins and heather everywhere, and in November we fill up with Christmas trees and festive decorations. Meanwhile the outdoor area and the greenhouse need attention all day long; as soon as a gap appears on the tables, we fill it straight away from storage so that the shop always looks full.

While the shop is in full swing, all sorts of things happen in the background in terms of logistics and creativity. We prepare orders, put together bouquets and update the till and stock. We also regularly organise activities in the shop where people get creative themselves under guidance, from their own flower arrangement to a seasonal decoration. In addition, we spend time on larger projects, such as preparing quotations for plant packages or getting trolleys ready for markets.

When the doors close to the public, the working day isn’t over just yet. All the shopping trolleys go neatly back in their place, we check that the plants have had enough water and we print the day’s takings. A quick plan for the next morning – which delivery are we expecting and which jobs can wait until tomorrow? – and then peace really returns. Lights off, gate locked and off home to recharge for another new, green day.

Feel free to drop by and experience the atmosphere for yourself; we’d love to help you personally!