For the Sales Team back refreshed after New Year, January and February mean one thing - SPRING CLEAN time. Eight weeks may seem like a lot of time to get the Nursery Shop and Retail Area cleaned, repaired and back into shape before March 1st, but what starts off as a marathon always becomes a mad sprint for the 28th February line. While this year we may potentially have a little bit longer due to the Government restrictions, we are currently only open for Click and Collect to local folk. But as we all know the situation can change very quickly and we may be allowed to open. In May 2020 we were only given six days notice to open, which was interesting but fun.

This year we are making it a little more difficult for ourselves as we have BIG PLANS for the Nursery Shop. Definitely time for a revamp, we wanted the Hardy's Gardeners to be the first to know, as you are likely to be the first to see it in all its glory.

So what have we been doing....

Sprucing up the Nursery Shop As first impressions always matter, it is time for a makeover. After a long, long, long debate we have plumped for a soft mid-grey woodstain as a flattering background for the plants. Staining will commence once the weather permits. We have already started on the new look for the posts at the end of the benches, carefully colour coded for visual legibility. Fingers crossed the rain lets up so that they will dry out.

Also on the cards is a new accessible customer toilet with heating. So if you cannot find a member of the Sales Team on a cold wet day, odds on they will be in there.

Creating more display space to inspire and illustrate how Hardy's plants can be mixed for exciting colour and texture combinations whilst meeting specific environmental conditions. Right Plant Right Place every time. Julie, Nick and Georgia have been hard at work removing benches to open up display areas and raising the heights of others. This one has been nicknamed Hadrian's Wall - not sure whether that is to keep the Hardys in or out. Time will tell.

Dismantling, checking and repairing the benches Always a priority, as until we have stripped the benches we do not know the extent of the repairs. The upper layer of moisture retentive mypex is removed, rotten or broken pallets exchanged for sound and then the mypex replaced. Sounds a quick job but in reality it takes quite a lot of time as the benches have to be levelled carefully taking into account the difference in pallet sizes. On the plus side, it is an excellent and sustainable reuse of pallets. Rob Hardy then appears with his pressure washer and gives them all a thorough wash down. Next the 'short straw' job - disinfectant with JEYES fluid. Wonderful stuff, that really works killing bacteria and viruses but a 'tad fragrant. Some love it, which is fortunate as it tends to linger.....

We hope that you approve when you next visit