Calls for garden centres to close during lockdown to help 'save lives'
Garden centres might be keeping their doors open during England's third lockdown, but one owner is urging the industry to remain closed to help 'save lives' and 'keep staff and customers safe'.
Chris Bonnett, who runs Bonnetts Garden Village in Brentwood, believes that nurseries should only open to the public if they are selling essentials such as pet food and fuel.
'I'm urging garden centres who are choosing to remain open not to be short-sighted and lose the essential status they've been fortunate enough to receive,' said Chris, who also runs GardeningExpress.co.uk. 'We took the decision to close our garden centre before the new lockdown was announced to help in the battle to prevent spread, save lives and to keep our staff and customers safe.'
While Chris' garden centre is closed to the public, he has offered it to the government to use as a vaccination hub and drive-in testing centre, explaining that others should consider doing the same.
'It was a heartbreaking decision but given the current situation the country finds itself in, it was the right one. Since we made that decision, the whole country's been plunged into a third lockdown and I'm calling on those centres that have opened to ensure they do only sell essential items and don't abuse the trust they've been give,' he added.
Chris explained that if garden centres go into 'winter hibernation', it gives them the chance to prepare safely for reopening in spring — one of the busiest times of year for horticulture.
Last year, the horticultural industry was hit hard by the pandemic, with the Horticultural Trade Association (HTA) reporting that the virus outbreak could cost the UK gardening industry £200 million.
At the time, English gardener and broadcaster Alan Titchmarsh explained the importance of keeping garden centres open. 'I urge the government to put in place a rescue package which will enable British horticulture to survive,' he said. 'Without it, our gardens and open spaces — a vital source of solace and nutrition to those at home — will suffer irreparable damage.'
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