Differing views on garden centres

Acouple of weeks ago we asked whether you thought garden centres in England should have been closed when the country locked down after Christmas. The argument, actually first put forward by a garden centre owner, was that closing during the quieter month of January would cause less disruption and may go some way to ensuring the whole country might open up sooner and we could use garden centres without restrictions in spring when they’re really busy. You can read a selection of readers’ views on pages 56-57. It’s a very contentious subject (and one about which it’s impossible to know the right answer) but it was very interesting indeed to read the different thoughts of GN readers.

On a lighter note, and despite the lockdown, we’re motoring headlong through the shortest month. My daughter’s birthday falls on the 28th, which I always think of as the last day of winter (the meteorological seasons are a lot easier to remember than the astronomical ones!), so let’s look on the bright side – literally!

If you’re looking to grow your own veg this year, do take a look at our feature on page 18 – now’s the time to prepare your plot, and the work you do in February will make a big difference to the harvests you collect in the summer and autumn!

Finally, a reminder that a subscription to Garden News (see below) is the best way to guarantee you don’t miss an issue in these difficult times. It works out as excellent value, too.

Have a great gardening week!