Banburyshire garden centre marks 40 years as family run business

The Farnborough Garden Centre had to close to visiting customers during the lockdown, but they continued with their planned planting schedule rather than to dispose of young plants and seedlings in the hope that lockdown would ease before the summer gardening season was too far advanced.

Peter Toms, who owns and runs the garden centre with his wife and family, said: "We were able to operate a home delivery service together with a ‘call and collect’ option for those able to travel during the lockdown period.

"This helped us to keep staff at work and the business ticking over during lockdown.

"We reopened to retail customers on Friday May 15, and have received welcome support from our customers to date.

"We were fortunate to have had large stocks of compost prior to closedown together with annual bedding and patio plants, and we have managed to maintain reasonable levels of most of these products since reopening.

"We also have excellent stocks of trees, shrubs, climbers, conifers and roses."

The centre carries an extensive range of over 40 composts and soil care products along with decorative chippings and garden paving.

A large and ever changing range of terracotta and glazed pottery, oak tubs, stone planters and garden ornaments are kept in stock, together with a selection of garden screens, arches, trellis and obelisks.

Garden furniture in the form of timber seats /benches and metal patio sets are also stocked in season.

The gift and homeware areas stock a wide range of both garden and home related items including wall-art, pictures, ornaments, artisan glassware and general giftware together with a small range of ladies fashion accessories.

A spokesperson for the garden centre said: "We also recommend that visitors should take a look at the 'Treasured Teddies' showroom, where an extensive choice of teddy bears is always displayed including not only soft cuddly companions, but also limited edition and collector bears.

"Bears are available from a number of manufacturers including Steiff, Charlie Bears, Steiner, Robin Reeve, Cotswold Bears, Gund, Trendle, Kaycee Bears and Silver Tag Bears."

The garden centre has had two shorten its operating hours due to the easing of the coronavirus lockdown.

The garden center is open from 10am to 5pm on Tuesday to Saturday, and 10.30am to 4.30pm on Sundays. Closed Mondays.

Customers with special requirements can also be offered help and assistance and where possible, every effort will be made to try and locate plants for them.

Peter added: "We have arranged a ‘one way’ system of travel around the centre together with controlled access. This assists with social distancing and personal space for customers."

Peter, who initially started out as a beekeeper with 20 hives to hand, took over the Farnborough Garden Centre in 1980.

He said: "It's a personal satisfaction to see things grow and to develop the site and see how it has grown over the years.

"I enjoy what I do. It gives you a bit of a buzz to see how it's grown."