Back in August, PlantNetwork launched a survey to find out how gardens had adapted to the requirements of the Covid-19 pandemic and if/how they were emerging from lockdown. This followed an earlier survey which took place in May/June as the lockdown in the UK began to lift, with many gardens reopening in early June.

‘Gardens Unlocked’ aimed to look at what measures gardens adopted, whether these measures changed from planning to reopening and the success of the approaches taken in welcoming visitors back to Covid-19 secure places. It also looked at the levels of confidence felt in the teams caring for and managing the gardens.

The results of the survey should be of use to other gardens who have not opened this year but are looking at preparations for next year, gardens re-evaluating the approaches they have adopted, or simply as a resource for making decisions in the future. Please do note that the survey was completed in late August and hence many of the measures being adopted will have been curtailed in the current ‘second wave’.

Summary

While responses were only received from a small number of gardens/horticulturists, the responses included a range of different garden types (large public to small private; free to paid entry) from across the UK and Ireland. Responses showed the range of measures being adopted to protect staff and visitors alike, with additional cleaning and hygiene combined with social distancing measures topping the list of approaches adopted. Some gardens noted that changes had been made, especially to visitor measures, after opening as some proved unnecessary or unworkable. There was concern that measures were drifting in some instances in late summer.

The survey also looked at the impact of the pandemic, particularly the lockdown, on the garden. It was noted that staff shortages and volunteer restrictions had led to changes in maintenance requirements and garden appearance but also a shift in what has been grown, with a decrease in annual bedding and an increase in productive crops. There is significant concern regarding income and how this will affect budget going forward, making it difficult to develop long-term planning. Some respondents noted the needed to be flexible in approach, look to the use of online delivery and diversification of income streams to support the garden/business.

The full report and analysis is available to PlantNetwork members.

Follow-up

If you would like to be involved in a follow-up survey in Spring 2021, please contact the PlantNetwork Coordinator. With the availability of a number of vaccines looking certain and a second lockdown in England following a circuit-breaker in Wales plus different approaches adopted in Scotland, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, there are likely to be considerable changes taking place over Winter 2020 and into 2021, with experiences to be shared.