What's it like selling plants at the market? Well...lots of hard work is the short answer!

Just to give you some insight. 

I was at market today but my work started yesterday. 

I choose the best plants from a  wide selection that I have at my nusery. Then I drive the truck over to my college's nursery to select from his stock  He grows a large variety of seasonal stock. Then it.s back to my nusery to load the trolleys. This takes about 3 hours because I have to make sure that it is all well watered, dead-head any spent flowers and remove any damaged leaves. The shelves are loaded so that you can just get your fingers between the tops of the plants and the next shelf ensuring maximum loading. Consequently I have to re-jig what I have on the shelves because unfortunately not all plants grow to a nice and even height. Then I spend another couple of hours watering my stock which is mostly kept outside ( haven't been able to afford a super duper irrigation system yet). I make a final check that I have got all the plants that people have ordered and finally close up the tail-lift. Just enough time to get to the garage before it shuts to fill up with diesel.

Market day, The alarm goes off at 4:30 am YAWN!

5am on the motorway to Oxford.

6:15 am. Arrive but I have to wait before unloading as the fruit and veg folk have chosen to bring 3 lorries today and so there is no room to pull up close to the market. I also have to keep an eye out for when the big articulated stage lorries want to pull out from the back of the theatre and make sure that I don't block off the taxi rank.

6:30am Now I've got my spot I can unload, Takes a little longer today because there are bikes locked to the entrance way (they chose to ignore the council notices) and so I have to take the trolleys around the back of the other stalls.

7:15am until 9 am setting up. All the trolleys are emptied and the shelves are all spread out  to display the plants at their best. All are checked for prices...ready to sell...although I have made some sales already. I managed to swiftly move in as a customer chose to take a lupin from the back of the shelf forcing her arm through the other lupins and then struggling to get it out sideways because there was no room (remember how closely I pack the shelves?) "Let me get that for you..." I say politely trying not to make it sound like a scream.

10am Then it rains, Whoosh! Where did everybody go?

Luckily it clears before lunchtime...the busiest time. I smile sweetly for the umpteenth time..."No I don't mind changing a twenty" when they want to spend a pound.  "Please mind your bags on the lupins" (They seemed jinxed today...the lupins I mean). Throughout the day I have to be ready for 'Gardener's Question Time'. You get asked all sorts of questions...I know a fair bit but I don't know everything so it's just as well I have my RHS books as backup.

1:30pm to 2:30pm spent mostly picking up plants blown over by the gusty winds...two lupins left but they won't stay up in this wind...oh and returning the socks from the stall over the way.

2:30pm I start arranging all the shelves and the plants and gradually putting the trolleys back together ready for loading.

3:30pm I managed to get my truck in before the fruit and veg lorries YES! I load the trolleys one by one and each time I return to the stall I see a customer smiling at me with a collection of plants they wish to buy. I am sure that some of them seem to look more pleased  with their own acheivement of managing to haul the plants back out of the trolleys without damaging the ones they want to buy.

4pm Last trolley and last customer who proudly hands me an agapanthus. Last trolley on then. Then I spot the other two remaining agapanthus plants with their flower stems snapped in half. HO HUM I'll have to put them at the back of the nursery for next year! 

4:15pm Great an early departure...home before dark?...Excited now!

5pm Still not out of Oxford!! hmmmmm

5:30pm Managed to get to the M40 but it's crawling...the signs say 'A stranded vehicle' hmmmmmmm

6pm Traffic starts moving again.

6pm til 7:30pm I fight with the steering wheel all the way because of the side winds hitting the truck.

8pm Arrive at nursery.  Take the trolleys off and unload all the plants off the trolleys onto the floor of the polytunnel.

8:45pm Pick up the shrubs and trees outside that the wind has blown over.

9:15pm Water everything!

10:30pm HOME AT LAST!  Count up and record todays takings... minus the price of the market pitch (paid for 52 weeks of the year) and minus the £10 for parking, then there is enough to pay for that tank of deisel I got last night and enough to pay for the diesel I will need for Saturday's market and almost enough to cover the price of my stock.

Why you might ask do I do it? Well it's not for the money, but because I do love talking about plants and gardens, sharing customer's successes like when they have tried a new plant or planted up a new border, trying to meet the challange of the perfect plant for the cemetry that won't be eaten by rabbits, and learning from folk...their gardening tips, their experiences, how they have rescued their gardens from the floods last year.

So now you have a little insight into what it is like...the next time you ask me "If I buy two plants do I get discount?" or "What's your best price?" Just remember...I can always smile sweetly....!