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