Page 24 - Oundle Life June 2021

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THE BARN
...for tulips, trees and teas?
From perennials and pots, to tea and scones – Paul and Steph Wilson have tranformed The Barn Garden Centre since they took over the site in 2009. Oundle Life gets the lowdown...
What made you choose Oundle? The original Barn was started by my Dad David in Peterborough back in the 1970’s. I stumbled upon the site in Oundle when I was out walking and happened to see it was for sale, made some enquiries, and the rest, as they say, is history.
Tell us more... There had previously been
a garden centre and nursery on the site, but it had been closed for some years and had become overgrown with brambles.
How have you seen your business change during the pandemic? As a Garden Centre, we have been very lucky to be classed as an ‘essential business’ and have been allowed to remain open during the lockdowns, although The Boxwood has had to close each time.
Being at home so much, people have been using their gardens as an outdoor room, not
only buying furniture, but adding plants and accessories too. Some have found the reward in growing their own food, while others have taken pleasure feeding wildlife.
A knock-on effect we are now experiencing though is the supply chain trying to keep up with demand.
Favourite plants on sale today? Right now, you can’t beat Petunia Surfinias. They add instant colour and come in a range of colours and patterns. Vivid and pastel, spotty and stripy. Better still, they put on an amazing display of flowers all summer long.
What are the best things about your job?
Living on site – the commute to work is great! Running both the garden centre and a café means there’s huge variety in my role. Although, my favourite job is ordering new plants.
What’s your best-selling product? Compost would be our most popular product in the garden centre, and in the café either our breakfast bap or homemade scones.
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