Boost for at-risk garden centre after £24k raised

Jenny and Gillian Stafford have been in charge of Wootens of Wenhaston since 2016

A specialist garden centre at risk of closure was "overwhelmed" with gratitude after residents rallied round and raised tens of thousands of pounds.

Wootens of Wenhaston, in Halesworth, recently lost access to a nearby borehole that had long supplied the site, and its rare and historical collection of plants, with water.

With just half a tank of water left, the future of the facility was plunged into doubt, with owners Gillian and Jenny Stafford fearing its plants would not survive.

After issuing a plea for support, the community helped the couple raise nearly £24,000 in a matter of days, money which will be used to drill and install a new borehole.

Woottens of Wenhaston is home to a Plant Heritage National Collection of Pelargoniums

"If we run dry, that's it, there is no other alternative, so it was either try to raise these funds or we will have to close the nursery," Mrs Stafford, 45, told the BBC.

"We knew we had good customers and some of them would support us, but we were completely overwhelmed – we are so grateful.

"It's just absolutely fantastic, and we are still a little bit bewildered; our heads are all over the place."

Woottens of Wenhaston has been delighting fans of all things flora since 1991

The garden centre has long proved popular due to its Plant Heritage National Collection of Pelargoniums, rare Primula auriculas, and historical bearded Irises.

It was opened in 1991 by founder Michael Loftus before it was taken over by the Staffords in 2016, following his death four years earlier.

During that time, the couple have "poured everything into keeping Woottens alive", battling through the Covid-19 pandemic, serious illness and a cyber-attack.

'Given us a boost'

"Running a small business can grind you down, and we don't just grow plants that are the most popular, we grow the ones that are difficult," added Mrs Stafford.

"But the [support from the community] has given us a boost to keep going.

"We are not completely out of the woods yet, but the rain in the last few days has helped."