Tag: Dobbies

Dobbies Edinburgh reopens tomorrow

Following updated guidance from the Scottish Government that garden centres may open, the UK’s leading garden centre retailer, Dobbies Garden Centres, will reopen both its Edinburgh store and little dobbies tomorrow (Monday 5 April). 

The safety of team members and customers remains Dobbies’ number one priority and social distancing measures are already in place to allow the stores to operate safely. The restaurant and soft play will remain temporarily closed in the Edinburgh store.

Graeme Jenkins, CEO of Dobbies, said: “We welcome this updated guidance from the Scottish Government, enabling us to reopen our stores, including the Edinburgh store and little dobbies. The safety of our team members and customers remains Dobbies’ number one priority.

“Spring is the time when people want to get back out into their gardens, and with proven health and wellbeing benefits, reopening in Scotland is a positive development.”

As the Edinburgh store reopens, bedding plants are predicted to be popular with local customers, following their popularity in 2020. With houseplants, Orchids were the most popular in 2020 with the trend for foliage set to be big in 2021.

The store will be open 09:00 to 18:00, Monday to Sunday.

For the full list of Dobbies stores visit dobbies.com 

Dobbies teams up with the RSPB for latest podcast episode

Edinburgh residents encouraged to protect local garden wildlife

Dobbies Garden Centres has teamed up with the UK’s largest nature conservation charity, the RSPB, to release its latest podcast episode. The podcast is available to listen to now (Wednesday 24 March) and takes a look at how we can all protect and care for our local garden wildlife.

In the latest episode, podcast host and gardening writer Louise Midgley is joined by RSPB Conservation Officer, Ally Lemon, with the pair discussing how we can all make small changes to protect our garden wildlife. As well as practical advice on caring for our birds, insects and pollinators, the episode also has some handy tips on how to make a welcoming habitat for local species.

Marcus Eyles, Horticultural Director at Dobbies, said: “With spring just around the corner a lot of us will be preparing our gardens for the warmer months, and we can all do our bit to make our outdoor spaces more wildlife friendly.

“Helping nature starts at home, and no matter how big or small your garden, we can all create a suitable home for garden wildlife. We hope people across Edinburgh will welcome local wildlife into their gardens.”

The RSPB is inspiring everyone to give nature a home, and with just a little planning we can all provide safe havens for local wildlife to feed, breed and hibernate in our gardens. Following the charity’s Big Garden Birdwatch initiative in January, this year the RSPB are looking to inspire more and more people to garden for nature on their doorstep and engage in more wildlife-friendly practices in their garden, balconies and local communities

Ally Lemon, Conservation Officer at the RSPB, said: “No matter the size or type of outdoor space you have, whether it is a rural garden or a city balcony, everyone can help wildlife in their local area.

“There are loads of things people can do to invite wildlife into their outdoor spaces, from planting some wildflowers in flowerpots, putting up some bird boxes or creating a pond. Small steps can give nature a helping hand.”

So far, Dobbies’ podcast series has covered a host of topics, with everything from seasonal spring gardening tips and practical advice for beginners, to growing your own produce and caring for houseplants.

Dobbies products to make your garden wildlife friendly:

Henry Bell Heritage Fat Ball Feeder, £14.99; Henry Bell Decorative Stake Feeder, £19.99; Henry Bell Elegance Nesting Box, £14.99.

For more ideas: https://www.dobbies.com/gardening/wildlife

Dobbies’ podcast is available to listen to and download now via iTunes and Spotify https://www.dobbies.com/content/podcast.html

To learn more about the RSPB and its work, visit rspb.org.uk

For more information visit dobbies.com

Dobbies launches virtual events to get Edinburgh gardens blooming

Dobbies, the UK’s leading garden centre retailer, has announced a programme of exclusive virtual events this Spring, helping Edinburgh gardeners of all ages and abilities take their green spaces to the next level.

Launching on Saturday 27 March and running throughout Spring, the expert sessions will be hosted by Dobbies’ Horticultural Director, Marcus Eyles, live from his own garden.

Marcus will provide viewers with engaging tips and tricks, tutorials and live demonstrations across a variety of topics, to help gardeners make the most of their outdoor spaces.

Kicking off the series will be an event on refreshing pots and planters with colourful springtime blooms, with subsequent classes covering topics including developing healthy soil and edible crops, cultivating garden wildlife and maintaining a lush lawn.

Attendees will have the opportunity to ask questions directly and gain the expertise required to create an Instagrammable garden, no matter its size.

Marcus Eyles, Horticultural Director at Dobbies, said: “Over the past year, more of us than ever before have discovered a love of gardening and experienced the ways that it enriches our lives and improves our wellbeing.

“Gardening is something we can all enjoy, no matter how large or small our outdoor spaces, and we are delighted to be launching this series of virtual events. We hope that they will inspire and help gardeners old and new to learn the skills and techniques they need to take their gardens to the next level.”

Dobbies’ virtual events follow a successful programme of Facebook Live sessions in 2020 and provide a virtual alternative to the regular ‘Grow How’ events previously hosted in the Edinburgh store. Further events focused on adding colour to the your garden and roses will be announced soon.

The sessions are free of charge and exclusively available to Dobbies Club members. For those who aren’t yet members of Dobbies Club, membership is free and signing up is quick and simple, giving access to a variety of benefits, special offers and exclusive events. To sign up visit dobbies.com.

To sign up for the masterclasses, visit https://www.dobbies.com/content/events.html

Dobbies live event calendar:

·        Saturday 27th March – Refresh Your Pots with Spring Colour

·        Saturday 10th April – Healthy Soil Grows Better Crops

·        Saturday 24th April – Lawns and Wildlife

·        More events to be announced soon

Dobbies Edinburgh partners with Too Good To Go in bid to tackle food waste

The UK’s leading garden centre retailer, Dobbies, has partnered with surplus food app, Too Good To Go, in a bid to combat food waste in its Edinburgh store.  

Leading the food waste revolution, Too Good To Go lets people buy surplus food and drink from restaurants, grocery stores, pubs and producers to stop it from going to waste. Consumers simply download the free Too Good To Go app and search for nearby businesses with unsold produce. They then purchase a ‘Magic Bag’ and collect it at an allotted time.

Customers in Edinburgh are able purchase a Magic Bag in the Dobbies foodhall, filled with fresh and delicious surplus food that would ordinarily go to waste. With an RRP of £12-14, the Magic Bags are available to buy for £3.99.

Archie Stewart, Head of Food at Dobbies, said: “Our partnership with Too Good To Go is an innovative solution for customers and Dobbies to work together on a shared goal of reducing food waste.

“The Too Good To Go Magic Bags can be collected with ease from our Edinburgh store.”

Paschalis Loucaides, UK Country Manager at Too Good To Go, said: “We’re thrilled to have partnered with Dobbies and help reduce food waste. We’ve already seen brilliant traction for the Magic Bags on our app and know together we can make a huge difference in making sure food is eaten and enjoyed instead of wasted.”    

Coming soon, co-founder of Too Good To Go, Jamie Crummie, will feature as a guest on the latest episode of the Dobbies podcast. Joining host Louise Midgely, Jamie will talk more about the partnership, the inspiration behind the anti-food waste enterprise and share his top tips on reducing food waste at home.

As well as Edinburgh, Too Good To Go Magic Bags are available to purchase in the following Dobbies stores across the UK: Aberdeen, Ashford, Atherstone, Aylesbury, Ayr, Birtley, Braehead, Brighton, Carlisle, Chesterfield, Cirencester, Dundee, Dunfermline, Gailey, Gillingham, Gloucester, Gosforth, Harleston Heath, Havant, Huntingdon, Liverpool, Livingston, Milngavie, Milton Keynes, Moreton Park, Morpeth, Northampton, Perth, Peterborough, Ponteland, Preston, Reading, Rugby, Shepton, Shenstone, Southport, Stapleton, Stirling, Stockton, Stratford Upon Avon, Swansea and Telford. More stores will be announced on the Dobbies website soon.

To purchase a Magic Bag, download the Too Good To Go App, available via the Apple Store and Google Play. To find out more visit toogoodtogo.co.uk

For more information visit dobbies.com

Dobbies Edinburgh moves ‘Bring your Christmas Tree Home Day’ as Scots seek early festive joy

Dobbies, the UK’s leading garden centre retailer, has brought forward its official ‘Bring your Christmas Tree Home Day’ to Saturday 5 December as the British public get into the Christmas spirit earlier than normal.

Usually the second Saturday in December, ‘Bring your Christmas Tree Home Day’ marks the most popular time for people buying their real Christmas trees. But according to new research commissioned by Censuswide on behalf of Dobbies, almost a quarter (24%) of Brits plan on putting their Christmas tree up early.

Forty percent of those planning to put their tree up early are aiming to do this 2 to 3 weeks earlier than usual, and a quarter are planning to put theirs up a week earlier.

Notably, young adults are the keenest to up the Christmas spirit levels with over two in five (46%) of those aged 16 to 24 planning on putting their tree up early.

Dobbies has streamlined its Christmas tree varieties this year focusing on the Nordmann Fir which is grown in sustainable Scottish woodlands. The Nordmann Fir holds its needles well and has a natural, open look making it easy to decorate.

Pot grown trees, which can be planted in the garden post-Christmas, are already proving popular this year as consumers look for environmentally-friendly options.

The garden centre is also expecting high demand of its value range including the 4ft Nordmann Fir tree which is £19.99. This taps into the trend of having Christmas trees in a variety of rooms in the house, especially kids’ bedrooms.

Marcus Eyles, Horticultural Director for Dobbies, said: “Buying a Christmas tree is a festive tradition and we work year-round to make sure we’ve got the best selection.

“We know Edinburgh customers are keen to get Christmas started early this year and because of that we’ve brought forward our official ‘Bring your Christmas Tree Home Day’ by a week to make sure everyone can get the tree they want and make the most of the festive season.

“Our premium-quality, sustainably sourced trees are displayed to aid safe shopping. We have social distancing measures in place to reassure our customers and allow them to choose their Christmas tree in a safe and enjoyable way

“Customers can also pre-order their Christmas tree for home delivery by visiting dobbies.com where they will find a great range of Christmas trees to choose from.”

Marcus features on the latest edition of the Dobbies gardening podcast, giving advice on selecting a real Christmas tree, how to transport it and the optimum position in the home. The Dobbies podcast is available to listen to and download now via iTunes and Spotify https://www.dobbies.com/content/podcast.html

Survey of 2,007 nationally representative UK respondents (aged 16+) undertaken in October 2020 by Censuswide.

For more information: www.dobbies.com