The red carpet was rolled out for a very special customer at Otter Garden Centres in Ottery St Mary when Lionel Smith paid a visit.
Lionel chose the garden centre as his preferred destination to mark his 95th birthday and Otter team members worked hard - within social distancing guidelines - to make his visit memorable. They rolled out the red carpet, with a banner, balloons, cake and birthday card from founders Marilyn and Malcolm White, signed by many team members.
It was the first time Lionel had left home since lockdown...
Nursery workers at Otter Garden Centres in Ottery St Mary were surprised to discover a family of great tits nesting inside a speaker.
The speaker is there so staff can listen to the radio while tending to the plants but this year it has had a second function, as home to the great tits.
Nursery Manager, Kevin Clarke said: “We’ve found birds nesting on the site before, including robins in a storage box and wrens that were nesting in a hanging basket.
“We’re always careful to leave them well alone so they can raise their young in peace – although these great tits seem...
Otter Garden Centres has added to existing green credentials with the installation of car charging points at the company’s Ottery St Mary, Plymouth, Wincanton and Lymington branches.
Customers who drive electric cars will now be able to use the EV (electric vehicle) charging stations free of charge while they shop. Each station is capable of charging two vehicles.
As a company, Otter Garden Centres is committed to an environmentally friendly approach and this is the latest in a series of green initiatives undertaken.
Managing Director, Jacqui Taylor explained: “We...
There’s a seasonal treat in store at the next flower arranging workshop at Otter Nurseries on July 27.
Experienced florist and arts tutor, Tracy Johnson will be showing course attendees how to create a beautiful display based on the theme ‘ Seaside Memories’, using seasonal flowers and seaside . The workshop is suitable for people with any level of flower arranging experience from beginner to advanced. It runs from 2.30 to 4.30pm and costs just £15 per person. The price includes all materials, flowers, tuition and refreshments.
Otter Nurseries is holding a wheelbarrow raffle on Mothering Sunday to raise funds for Charity of the Year, ELF.
Tickets for the raffle cost £1 and will be available to buy at the garden centre near Ottery St Mary all day on March 15.
The lucky winner will not only receive the contents, worth over £150, but also the wheelbarrow itself, bringing the total value of the prize to around £250.
The charity ELF supports families affected by blood disorders and cancers across the South West, and is currently fundraising for a new family suite at RD&E.
The charity team at Otter Nurseries has announced a fundraising total of just under £9,000 for 2014 charity of the year, emergency medical couriers Devon Freewheelers.
Marketing Manager Sabine Taylor said: “We were always hoping to raise enough to help buy the charity a new bike, and thanks to the amazing generosity of staff and customers, we are bang on target.
“Devon Freewheelers seems to be a charity close to the hearts of many people in this area, and everyone was prepared to dig deep for them.”
The total was raised through many different fundraising events...
