A Message from Solent Growers
The Coronavirus crisis has been a perfect storm for ornamental plant growers and garden centres. Just before Mother’s Day most of our customers ran their stock lower as they were rightly worried about the quarantine measures being put in place. It is frustrating that we didn’t follow The Netherlands’ and Germany’s example where garden centres were kept open as plants are seen as vital for peoples’ mental health and wellbeing.
Easter is the start of our busy time, like many growers we have a weekly input programme, we planted in early January for this period. Fortunately, through another nursery, we supply supermarkets such as Waitrose and M&S so our Hydrangeas kept going. Heartbreakingly we have had to dispose of many weeks’ of production of our beautiful Lilies and some of our Hydrangeas as it is hard to adapt programmes planned many months in advance. Unfortunately, we don’t qualify for any of the government grants and the furlough scheme doesn’t work for us, we need most of our staff even when we have to throw plants away. It has been a pretty tough time.
Our team of staff have been incredible, pulling together, making things happen and producing stunning plants. Following a Facebook post I made, another Royal Lymington member, Nick Beresford Davies of Tinstar Design came riding to the rescue. Four days later we were online with 2 other nurseries making deliveries in the New Forest as
www.Solentgrowers.co.uk an online shop. It has been the most amazing experience. Nick has been awesome putting up with our complete lack of knowledge even producing videos for us on how to set products up.
As I write one of our major customers has announced that they are reopening, and hopefully the garden centres will soon be allowed to follow suit. The irony is that there is likely to be a shortage of plants over the coming weeks as many growers cut back on their programmes.
Stuart and Ian’s Pumpkins are now off and running so that is also something to really look forward to. Normally when busy at work I find sailing helps a lot, I’ve been looking wistfully at our XOD “XL” in the shed each day. Many of us have resorted to Virtual Regatta and there’s now regular racing for X boaters at 20:10 on a Thursday evening, after the applause for our wonderful NHS. Although the rules are a little quirky it’s good fun and really easy to get into. Safe to say all the Patons are looking forward to getting on the water again, hopefully we won’t have to wait too much longer!