Lakeside Garden Centre in Telford celebrates it's 20th Birthday.

Shropshire Star

20 years strong serving the community, we call in at the Lakeside Garden Centre in Telford and meet the owner.

Transcript

00:00Lakeside Plant and Garden Centre Telford, 20 years old. Happy birthday!

00:05Kevin, hello sir, you alright? Yeah, good thanks. What's your self?

00:08Good mate, good. And we've got the big man, the boss, Steve.

00:11Hello. What's your last name, Steve?

00:13Evans. Steve Evans.

00:14So, 20 years old. You've been here from the start?

00:17Yes. Your conception. So what was here before? Was it a garden centre? Was there anything here?

00:21It was just a couple of polythene tunnels.

00:23So what's your background?

00:26Well, I've been in horticulture most of my life and I drove past this site for 2 or 3 years

00:31and just decided I should do my own thing.

00:34Yeah. Before we built the gardens.

00:36And was it kind of, you know, a success from the start?

00:39Because it takes a while to establish a business, doesn't it?

00:41I'll be honest, it's been very hard for different reasons, really.

00:44Yeah.

00:45We've had a couple of recessions over the 20 years.

00:48All the improvements, ironically, in the area have set us back as well.

00:53But now most of the work's done, we're starting to get the rewards for the past.

00:56Is that because of the disturbance with roads and stuff?

00:59Yeah. Road closures, all sorts of stuff, really.

01:02Yeah. So it's a case of trying to ride that out and then hopefully, yeah.

01:05Keep it going.

01:06So you're just getting revving up for the summer season.

01:08Yeah.

01:09We were chatting to Kev earlier. He said it is. It's ramping up, isn't it?

01:12It's very busy. Almost like a mirror of Covid year.

01:16Yeah. The weather's almost the same and the business level is the same.

01:20And it's the first time since Covid we've been this busy.

01:23And is that, like you say, because the weather's so nice and everyone's switching on to garden mode?

01:28It's the weather every time.

01:29Yeah, yeah. So you're a local lad, 20 years old.

01:34There's a few offers off since, same birthday offer. Is that for the 20th?

01:37It is, yeah. Kev's done a load of half price and better stuff.

01:40How long have you been here, Kev?

01:42Been here 19 years.

01:43Have you?

01:44I missed the first year.

01:45Yeah, yeah.

01:46But I've known Steve best part of 40 years.

01:48I know. So how did you guys first meet?

01:50So, Steve, years ago, first started at Bonnegal Nurseries.

01:54Yeah.

01:55When he moved to the area.

01:56Following that, he worked for Blooms.

01:58Yeah.

01:59And I was at another garden centre.

02:01Steve was my rep over many years.

02:03Yeah.

02:04Supplying with different plants and things like that over the years.

02:06No way.

02:07Right. Well, it speaks volumes of you as a person if he's followed you here, doesn't it?

02:11And he's still here after 19 years.

02:13Absolutely.

02:14So, any plans other than grafting hard all summer?

02:16You know, you're planning on kind of doing a little treat for yourself?

02:20A little get away, a little...

02:22Nothing planned.

02:23We normally try and get away late autumn, early winter.

02:26But we've got nothing planned, yeah.

02:27Yeah, because I guess summer you're just so busy, aren't you?

02:29Yeah, I'm so busy.

02:30We've got to coincide.

02:31We've got to go away before the Christmas trees come in.

02:33Because that's a big season, isn't it?

02:35Yeah.

02:36And what's kind of...

02:37Over the 20 years, if you've seen a difference in what people are coming in for

02:41and buying plants and garden, you know, what would you say you've seen a change?

02:46So, when we first started, people would come in with a shopping list.

02:48They'd want a Burris or a Cuba or a Chrysanthemum.

02:51Now, pretty much, people come in and it's all impulse.

02:54Yeah.

02:55So, we buy stuff looking good at the time and that varies throughout the season.

02:58Yeah.

02:59And there seems to be that kind of, I guess, largely led by some of the garden shows where

03:04people are turning that garden into like a second living room, really, don't they?

03:07Absolutely.

03:08Yeah.

03:09It's another room in the house now.

03:11Yeah.

03:12The other thing is instant gardening.

03:13People buy much bigger things now.

03:14Oh, yeah.

03:15They don't want to wait five, ten years for it to grow.

03:17Yeah.

03:18Everything's ready.

03:19And what, I mean, have you had your fill of plants?

03:22If you go back to yours, is it kind of, is it all concrete and slabs and there's not

03:25a plant inside?

03:26Oh, no.

03:27No, no.

03:28Those are plants.

03:29Yeah, yeah.

03:30Absolutely fun.

03:31Yeah, great stuff.

03:32Well, we wish you all the best, lads, and thank you for serving the community for 20

03:35years strong and I hope you have a good season.

03:37Great.

03:38Well, thank you for coming out.

03:39Cheers, lads.

03:40Ta-da.

03:41Top man.

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