What’s changed? Instead of being outdoors growing plants I’m indoors on the computer
This is the first year Kathleen Jenkins, who runs The Mill Garden Centre in Armadale, West Lothian, can remember spending Easter Sunday with her family. “Normally it is one of the busiest days of the year,” she says.
That day might come tomorrow when garden centres finally reopen after being forced to close for many months. Throughout it all Kathleen and her small team have been taking orders, making deliveries and offering a click-and-collect service for customers, which has come with its own challenges.
“Instead of being outside growing plants, I’ve been on the computer and learning all kinds of new IT skills,” she says.
“We have had to do so many things differently, but we’ve made it and now that we can reopen things should start to get back to normal.”
Planning what to grow to satisfy the rush of demand from both new and experienced gardeners has, she says, been one of the hardest parts of the past 12 months. “You have to make decisions months in advance and then hope you have got them right.” One thing Kathleen is pretty sure is correct, however, is a recent swing to old-fashioned annuals and biennials is going to continue, so the nursery beds at The Mill Garden Centre are currently filled with Sweet Williams, Antirrhinums and other cottage garden favourites that will soon be ready to go on sale.