Sunday, 16 May 2010

Give me an old fashioned nursery...!



I've started to really dislike today's modern garden centres!
By the time you have foraged through all the stuff that does not really belong in a garden centre, you get fed up and
want to go home..well at least I do!
However, at one of our local garden centres there is a corner with a small amount of old or antique bits and pieces for the garden...but at, needless to say, modern prices!
And because I am not prepared to spend my well earned money on such expensive delights all that I have to offer are photos!
None of this came home with me! Similar can be found at the recycling centre,I am sure!
Although not one of these...

I have always wanted one of these old GWR benches, for my garden.

I do possess a small, old, wooden wheelbarrow in my garden but it is on its last legs...or should I say 'wheels'!





So that was my trip to 'Fermoys' on Friday and I can't say that I was particularly enamoured with the place. Inside, it is filled with books, china and cheap 'n nasty fripperies galore!

I would much sooner visit an old fashioned nursery, with old fashioned service...and old fashioned prices as in my opinion these garden centres are having a laugh!

I also happen to live right near a 'Plants Galore'!

This place used to be incredibly cheap! And do I mean cheap!

On the way home from Fermoys, we called in there and I was astonished...their prices in many cases were higher than the local garden centre!

So what's going on?

Moving on...


On Saturday, having visited Exeter Flea market...that wasn't great either, apart from seeing Lizzie's ( aka The washerwoman) smiling face ...
we called in at Powderham ..home of the famous castle!

And... I was pleasantly surprised!

There was a lovely little nursery with very healthy looking plants and reasonable prices too.


I shall return!
But not until I have been up to Hill House Nursery at Landscove, this week, which is one big treat, so watch this space !
Hope you are all having a lovely weekend!
;-)
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14 comments:

  1. galant16 May 2010 at 18:07

    When I saw the first pix, I thought you'd been to Toby's Reclation Yard in Newton Abbot rather than Fermoys! Not been to Fermoys in a while so must investigate more ... and love the pix of the little nursery at Powderham. Again, another place I've not been to in over 10 years (Powderham, I mean, not its nursery.) You will love Hill House - best scones in the area, too!
    Margaret P

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  2. KC'sCourt!16 May 2010 at 18:41

    A girl from my heart. I thought I was the only one who like old fashion "proper" things!
    Julie xxxxxx

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  3. KC'sCourt!16 May 2010 at 18:41

    A girl from my heart. I thought I was the only one who like old fashion "proper" things!
    Julie xxxxxx

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  4. Josie-Mary16 May 2010 at 19:02

    I always go to Otter, mum used to work there & still gets staff discount :)
    I like the fact there are 2 sides, if dad comes we're only allowed in the plant side but if us girls are allowed out alone we have a field day! It's good to have the option, although I do prefer old fashion garden centres :)

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  5. Gilly Tee16 May 2010 at 19:21

    I'm with you on this, our local nursery is "expanding" and I'm dreading it 'cos you know it means more money for everything.

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  6. Carol16 May 2010 at 19:37

    Hi Sal, I live near a former nursery which is now a quite expensive garden centre.
    Oh for the days of 50p plants.......... wait a minute...... today was indeed such a day as I went to the Yorkshire Branch of the Cottage Garden Society's plant sale!
    Bought a few little treasures, the most expensive costing £1.50. I also won 2 plants on the tombola.
    You do visit some lovely places, thank you for sharing your photos.

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  7. menopausalmusing16 May 2010 at 20:52

    I don't like the modern garden centres. I go to one which has plastic tunnels full of just plants, sells compost and a few pots with pick your own fields outside........ it's all I need. However, when I said this to someone, they did point the other side: that the garden centres often need other things to sell when winter is here and people are not interested in buying plants.

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  8. sharie16 May 2010 at 21:33

    All our local garden centres have gone off the richter scale pricewise. There's only one very small one a good few miles away that seems to have reasonable prices and are without the huge pile of non related gardening cr@p most seem to sell these days.

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  9. WinnibriggsHouse16 May 2010 at 22:02

    Quite agree about the pricey garden centres now, more like department stores, but colder!
    Get most of my bargain plants at our car boots these days, where folks sell their surplus at a reasonable rate!

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  10. Anonymous17 May 2010 at 00:30

    Fermoys gets more like Trago Mills each time that I visit...lost it! I buy my plants from a little man who sells them from his garden gate with an honesty box just down the road from Liverton Post Office...give him a try!
    Love...
    Amanda (Shabby Chick) xxx

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  11. Anonymous17 May 2010 at 19:13

    You forgot to mention the other thing that a good garden centre should have besides cheap plants - a good coffee shop, selling scones the size of small planets!!

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  12. Suzy's Vintage Attic17 May 2010 at 21:16

    I like the little independant nurseries, they have a better selection of plants in my opinion. We have a Dobbies not far from here which isn't bad but I still prefer the smaller nurseries. One place I like is Hadspen Gardens & nursery near Castle Cary. I haven't been there for a while but will do something about that soon.

    Take care
    Isabelle x

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  13. prettyshabby17 May 2010 at 21:29

    hello Sal, I was down your neck of the woods this weekend, wish I had asked you where all these fab places were before we went!! We did manage to get to the wonderful Totnes, even had a quick chat with lovely Amanda who mentioned you and a mooch in This n That and Gazebo, I'll be writing these down for next time we visit..love that place in Ashburton on your previous post, especially that vintage cupboard in the last photo..ooh just my thing!!
    I couldnt agree more about the garden centres,there's one called Webbs near us, used to be fantastic for plants with a little thatched tea room, now its like some enormous superstore and mega restaurant and the ridiculously priced plants seem like an afterthought!
    sorry bit of an essay there!!
    xx

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  14. BusyLizzie18 May 2010 at 08:15

    Great to see you both on Saturday.. might you be able to persuade Mr S to attend the Chagford Garden fair in a few weeks time???? Have a great week! xxx

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