Garden centre boss is blasted as ‘wasteful’ for throwing away thousands of plants worth £125,000 when Covid-19 forced its closure
- Julian Winfield of Haskins Gardens Centres was slammed on social media
- The centre based near Southampton had to throw away flowers into the skip
- Social media users asked why they were not donated to care homes or hospitals
A garden centre was branded ‘wasteful’ today after throwing away thousands of plants worth a staggering £125,000.
Social media users have asked why flowers dumped by Haskins Garden Centres near Southampton were not donated to care homes, gardens or hospitals instead.
Haskins said it has had to dispose of the plants after its stores were forced to close while DIY stores and supermarkets were allowed to remain open
Those horrified at the waste agreed it was a shame the stores had to remain closed, but suggested plants could still have been given away.
Haskins Garden Centres chief executive Julian Winfield (left) was blasted on social media for the West End centre’s decision to dump £125,000 worth of flowers after closing during the Covid-19 lockdown
Oliver Stevens posted: ‘This confuses me. If you know they’re not going to sell, why not plant them in public gardens or hospital and care home gardens?
‘It seems very ignorant to just throw them away.’
Alison Thomas, wrote: ‘Such a waste. Surely nursing homes or the local community would have made great use of them?’
Haskins chief executive Julian Winfield said it was ‘frustrating’ that the company had been unable to reopen.
Social media users have asked why flowers dumped by Haskins Garden Centres near Southampton were not donated to care homes, gardens or hospitals instead
Supermarkets and DIY stores which sell plants have been allowed to continue trading while garden centres remain closed.
Mr Winfield said: ‘It’s a serious situation for us, having to be closed during our main season, and frustrating the essential retailers like supermarkets and DIY stores have been able to continue selling gardening supplies.
‘We’re a gardening nation. We’re very proud of our gardens and it seems a great shame we have had to shut.
‘Fifty per cent of our trade comes from March to June – we’re already halfway through that period.’
Haskins has garden centres in Longham, West End in Southampton and at Roundstone and Snowhill in West Sussex and has around 900 employees
He said plants worth around £125,000 have been wasted. Although some were given away, the majority had to be thrown into a skip.
When they are given a green light to reopen, Mr Winfield believes the company is well-placed to ensure social distancing.
He said: ‘I want to ensure our staff feel confident that they’re going to be able to work and it will be a safe place for them.’
Haskins has garden centres in Longham, West End in Southampton and at Roundstone and Snowhill in West Sussex and has around 900 employees.
Shortly before the lockdown, Haskins reopened its Snowhill site after a £15million redevelopment and announced it had bought Forest Lodge Garden Centre in Surrey, along with the neighbouring tourist attraction Birdworld.