This summer brought record-breaking heatwaves to the UK, with regular daytime temperatures well into the mid-thirties. Vineyards are becoming a common sight in the south of England now, a sign of just how much our climate, and what we can grow, is changing.

That change is reaching our back gardens too. Thirsty British favourites like hydrangeas are giving way to hardier, drought-tolerant plants like lavender and olive trees.

42% of UK gardeners now say that climate change is shaping what they buy. That's both a challenge and an opportunity for retailers looking to help customers build gardens that can handle drier summers.

Garden centres have got smart about this. They understand their customers, and they're finding new ways to bring people through the door and boost margins. The result is a sector that's grown from seasonal outlets into retail and hospitality destinations that people visit all year round, building real ties with their local communities.

The rise of the day-trip destination

Today, a trip to the garden centre isn't just a quick stop, it's a day out. According to the Horticultural Trades Association, of the estimated 203 million visits made to UK garden centres in 2025, nearly three quarters included a stop at the on-site café or restaurant. Catering alone makes up 17% of annual turnover for venues with a café or restaurant.

Technology plays a part in that too. It means garden centres can branch out into food and drink, farm-shop groceries and lifestyle retail, giving visitors more reasons to stay longer, and to spend more while they're there. Take catering: connecting payments, reservations and orders in one place, and keeping track of which dishes sell best, means visitors spend less time waiting and more time enjoying their day. And when the routine admin runs itself, staff can spend more time on the shop or café floor, where customers actually need them.

When systems don't talk to each other

When much of your stock is alive and depends on the weather, disconnected systems can cost real revenue.

Take plants. A bench of hydrangeas can sell out in an afternoon over a bank holiday, or wilt and need writing off after three days of 35 degree heat. If the website still shows them in stock, that's a wasted trip for a customer.

The gap between online and in-store stock gets worse overnight, like the Saturday before a heatwave when furniture and BBQs fly off the shelves. Connecting inventory across the business gives staff a clear, real-time picture of what's actually available, saving them from awkward refunds and customers from disappointment.

Bringing staff along

New technology works best alongside good training. Giving staff regular, hands-on support helps them feel confident using new systems, which keeps things running smoothly during the busiest hours. This matters even more when headcount doubles for the spring rush and half the till staff are seasonal hires who've never touched the system before. Quick, simple onboarding matters far more here than in a business with the same team all year round.

Connected systems can also bring customers back. Loyalty programmes that feel personal can carry a garden centre through the quiet winter months, when footfall drops but Christmas, houseplants and gifting still need to sell. And a well-timed suggestion can turn a small basket into a bigger one: a customer buying spring soil and pots might be offered weed killer or bug spray, and a customer buying a patio set in June might be shown cushions or a heater ahead of cooler evenings.

What's next for garden centres?

As heatwaves become more common and what customers want keeps changing, garden centres are no longer just about plants and tools. With the right technology, they can serve customers hunting for drought-hardy plants and welcome others simply escaping the heat in the café, turning a hot summer into a strong one.

By Mark Roberts, Managing Director, Retail at ClearCourse