Garden centre bosses praised staff and customers as they reopened their doors for the first time since lockdown.

Managers at centres in Gravesend and Gillingham said hundreds had turned out on Wednesday, and that new safety measures had been well observed.

Tammy Woodhouse, managing director of the Millbrook Garden Company, which has shops in Gravesend and Staplehurst, said most shoppers had been in search of colourful plants to brighten up their homes and gardens during lockdown.

"It's been really good today," she said, thanking staff and customers for their support. "It was brilliant - not overwhelming, but it was busy and steady.

"We had a queue first thing. The staff were quite nervous but we've settled in really well. The customers have been great, following social distancing rules, and we've had great feedback, with people saying they felt safe."

Safety measures in stores included wide aisles, a queuing system at the front door, and two metre distance tape through the centre, with capacity limited to 60 customers at any one time.

"Everybody wants colour," added Ms Woodhouse. "They're all just desperate for colour - bedding plants, perennials, everything that's colourful."

She said there was still some way to go before the centres could recoup the spring income lost to coronavirus, but added: "It's an encouraging first day. People seem to be coming shopping to do some shopping, which is good, and they're getting through quickly, which we're trying to encourage."

Millbrook Garden Centre lets no more than 60 customers in the shop at one time.

Dan Hume, head of buying at the Southfleet based store, said: "All centres are different, but we've worked out how many people can safely fit in our store while obeying social distancing guidelines.

"We have a rather large store so we are able to safely allow 60 shoppers in at once, based on our square footage.

"The centre is only allowing exactly 60 trollies to be used, so when there's none left we know we are at full capacity.

"If the tills get backed up it's the same system, all of the staff are in constant contact with one another via walkie-talkies so we always know what's going on and how to keep safe."

Millbrook Garden centre has been completely rearranged to allow customers to shop whilst following a one way system.

Shara Amos, a restaurant manager at Millbrook said: "All of the staff feel pretty safe, the one way system is amazing. The nice weather has helped but customers have been so nice and positive, it's working brilliantly."

Meanwhile, at Elm Court Garden Centre in Gillingham, manager Jon Hallett also welcomed the first day of trading.

"I think for the industry it's a great thing," he said. "It's been going through a tough phase, and this is our busiest part of the year after all.

"I think for customers as well, you can't underestimate the mental impact it has for people to be able to be in their gardens at such a difficult time.

"As for opening today there's a steady stream. The weather's not exactly amazing but the customers I've got to say have been great, and there's been really good feedback. Everyone's very attuned now to social distancing and the measures that are in place."

Management at the Gillingham store have carried out risk assessments, and created an opening plan, while staff were given training and PPE.

A queuing system and headcount limit had also been introduced, while popular types of plants had been spread through the store to avoid a build up of people in one area.

Screens, signs, sanitising wipes, and other measures had also been used to limit the potential for coronavirus infection.

He added: "From a plant perspective most of the nurseries we use are pretty much back up and running. They can't provide us exactly what we want but they're giving us a lot of alternatives. "We're finding with the customers we've been serving through home delivery, that people are accepting it's a slightly different year but as long as we can get some colour in the garden that's all that really matters.

"You're certainly not too late to be heading towards planting up some veg - we've got loads of grafted tomatoes and tomato plants, that's always a fun thing especially if there's children involved and then from planting, bedding wise, so pot bedding and pack bedding, lots of colour in your garden, it just adds to that whole send of calmness if you can get that done. But then there's also a great range of herbaceous plants and some of those are just spectacularly coming into colour, so this is the season where colour matters and it's all starting to come through."

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