Behind the Scenes at Larkspur Garden Centre: Yard Map for New Staff

Welcome to the team

Most of our customers only see the shop and the outdoor plant area, but much of the work at Larkspur Garden Centre happens in the staff yard behind the shop. This guide explains how the yard is arranged. Whether you have joined us to care for plants, drive the forklift or help with deliveries, please read it before you start.

Getting in

Staff arrive through the staff gate in the south-east corner of the site, which is opened at 7 am. The gate is watched from the security hut, which stands just inside it, and you should wave your pass at the window as you go through. Next to the security hut, to its west, is the trolley park, where the large flatbed trolleys used for moving plants are kept in rows. Please always return a trolley here at the end of the day. The shop building takes up the rest of the south side of the site, west of the trolley park.

The delivery yard

In the middle of the site is the delivery yard, where suppliers' lorries unload. When a lorry is reversing, a banksman must guide it, and other staff should keep well back. Along the western edge of the delivery yard are the water tanks, which collect rainwater from the roofs for use on the plants. The tanks are deep, so the lids must always be kept locked. Opposite the water tanks, on the eastern edge of the yard, is the tool store, where spades, hoses, secateurs and the electric hedge trimmers are kept. Tools must be signed out and returned clean.

Growing areas

The polytunnels stretch along the north side of the site from the north-west corner. Young plants are grown here until they are ready to go on sale, and the doors must be shut at night to keep out frost. In the north-east corner are the compost bays, where dead plants and garden waste are left to rot down. Between the polytunnels and the compost bays is the potting shed, where cuttings are taken and seeds are sown into trays.

Health and safety

Gloves must be worn when handling compost or using sprays, and a mask is needed when mixing any chemical. Only staff who have passed the forklift course may drive the forklift, which is parked in the delivery yard overnight. In hot weather, drink plenty of water and take regular breaks in the shade.

Breaks and lunches

Staff may use the café in the shop building at a discount of twenty per cent. Please eat in the staff room upstairs rather than in the yard.