Keen gardener opens Ancaster Flowers near Grantham to tackle ‘extortionate’ garden centre prices

A garden lover has turned his passion into a business.

Keith White, 43, recently opened Ancaster Flowers, near Grantham, with the aim to offer people plants at more reasonable prices, compared with the “extortionate” rates on offer at garden centres.

This is a new venture for Keith, who has taken his love of gardening and turned it into his own shop.

“I like to go into my own garden and plant my plants and I was fed up of paying extortionate prices at garden centres,” said Keith.

He added: “So, I thought I would look into it to see what it entailed and what the market was like, so that is why I did it.

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“Since opening, it has been good to get into the fresh air all of the time, sort the plants out, get more stock in and converse with customers.”

Alongside his love of gardening, Keith opened the shop as he believes garden centres are “ripping people off”.

He added: “They are just not worth the money these days. If people come to me, my plants are cheaper and also well cared for.”

Alongside bedding plants, the shop also offers perennial and annual plants.

Despite being open just under two weeks, the shop has been asked by Great Gonerby Parish Council to fill all of the hanging baskets around the village.

“We are trying to get noticed a bit more in the area, to make people realise we are here and stop them going to the overpriced garden centres,” said Keith.

He added: “It’s also about getting more people into the garden and patterning about.

“In this day and age, people haven’t got a lot of money so they are starting to go into their gardens a lot more.”

Looking to the future, Keith hopes to see the business grow - just like the plants - and possibly even expand.

Keith added: “If it expands into another town it would be great. If not, I am just happy to serve the people in the local area.”

Ancaster Flowers can be found opposite Woody’s Bar and Restaurant in Ancaster.