Netherlands and trucks cross the Channel every week, loaded with cut-price plants and flowers. The plants are often raised under glass and aren’t as sturdy as home-grown varieties.

> I love the “tea and pee”

crowd. One in eight of my customers just wants a nice cuppa. They’re not that interested in plants, though they often pick up a pot of jam or peg bag as a souvenir. Garden centres feed almost as many people as McDonald’s, so the cafe’s essential to my business.

> You long for an instant

garden. That’s why I stack brightly coloured bedding plants near the entrance to catch your eye. You’re attracted to “statement” plants such as cordyline ferns and olive trees, so I’ll slip a few of those in too.

> I’ll refund your money if a plant dies. I offer up

to five years’ guarantee on hardy perennials and I’ll honour it. But I expect to see your receipt and the dead plant. Sorry!

and look underneath the pot. If roots are poking through, the plant has outgrown its container. And go for a bushy plant rather than a tall one— it’s likely to be stronger.

> Don’t come to me for

unusual plants. I can’t afford to give them space —in fact my best-selling line is gift vouchers. Track down a specialist nursery, or go online and let a supplier such as Crocus or the RHS plant shop find it for you.

> If the pots are weedy,

walk away. A well-run garden centre top-dresses pots to replenish the compost, and weeds are a sign it’s not being done. Check the leaves for pests

> Find a crusty-looking worker if you want

advice. They often hang out in a booth by the shrubs and they’ll know which plants will flourish in your garden. Unlike the Saturday boy—only ask him if you need compost carried to your car.

> Check the pot size if you’re

ordering online.

Plug plants and mini-plants may sound like a bargain, but bedding plants can

take six weeks to mature, perennials much longer. Besides,

bigger plants are more likely to survive.

> Your biggest mistake is buying two of everything.

Five or seven of the same variety make much more impact in the garden. Why the odd number? It encourages you to group plants naturally instead of lining them up…and, of course, you’ll buy more.

> I can help you go

green. 500 million plant pots are chucked out each year, so ask if I’ll recycle them.

SOURCE: MATThEw APPLEbY, dEPUTY EdITOR OF HORTICULTURE WEEK ANd GARdENING

CONTRIbUTOR TO THE DAILY TELEGRAPH

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