The garden centre (and rubbish tip) stampede
SCOTLAND’S garden centres are expecting a stampede for the stockpile of plants they have been unable to sell for two months when they are finally allowed to open today.
In a boost for gardeners, both garden centres and plant nurseries can start trading again as part of the first easing lockdown restrictions.
Recycling centres will also reopen from Monday – following concerns that their closure had led to a rise in fly-tipping.
Some leading operators have expressed anger in recent weeks that they have been unable to open – despite stores including Homebase and B&Q being able to open their gardening sections.
But garden centres were yesterday given the all clear to unlock their doors again as much of their trading areas are outside.
Those that reopen are being told they must have social distancing measures in place first, including ensuring people stay two metres apart and provide hygiene measures such as sanitiser gels.
Some are only allowing a maximum of two customers in together with a shared trolley.
Dobbies Garden Centres confirmed that its 12 Scottish stores will be back open for business from today, with limited capacities.
Simon Fraser, of Ben Reid Garden Centre in Aberdeen, also revealed they will be among the dozens of traders across the country to returning at 10am today.
He said: ‘It’s much needed for the industry and for gardeners alike in Scotland. We’re disappointed that Scotland was the last country in Europe to open its garden centres.
‘The industry has been losing £1million a day.’
Keiran Gallagher, a director at Cardwell Garden Centre, near
‘Industry losing £1million a day’
Gourock, Inverclyde, added: ‘Getting the go-ahead to reopen could not have come quick enough.
‘It still gives gardeners the chance to get their favourite summer bedding plants in the ground and have them blooming during the summer months.’
David Lonsdale, director of the Scottish Retail Consortium, also welcomed the move.
He said: ‘Retailers of all sizes and formats are working hard and investing significantly to implement physical distancing and hygiene measures to protect customers and staff, putting themselves in the best possible position to operate safely once government permits trading again.
‘The move to enable garden centres to reopen is a welcome vote of confidence in that effort and preparation, and heralds the first tentative steps towards a reopening of the wider retail industry which is ready to play its part in kickstarting Scotland’s economy.
‘What Scotland’s retailers are now looking for is a firmer sense of the likely timetable for when they too may be able to open stores, as is currently the case in other parts of the UK.’
A survey by the Horticultural Trades Association found 30 per cent of firms warned they were at risk of insolvency by the end of this year. According to HTA chairman James Barnes, its members had 500 million bedding plants ‘sitting on the ground with no one to buy them’ last month.
Household waste recycling centres can reopen from Monday – although severe restrictions will be in place at some of them.
Edinburgh City Council has said its recycling centres will be back on an ‘appointment-only’ basis.
It has warned that the facilities are likely to be extremely busy and said people should only visit if necessary and if waste can’t be stored safely at home.
Different rules will be introduced across council areas – and families are being urged to check details before making a trip.
The reopening of some facilities will not happen immediately on Monday, while others will have reduced opening hours or will only accept specific types or volumes of waste.
Councillor Steven Heddle, economy and environment spokesman for council umbrella group Cosla, said: ‘All councils have been working hard to keep waste services going during these challenging times.
‘The response from the local government workforce has been magnificent.
‘We are now carefully reopening recycling centres across the country from June 1.’