What: The department store brings a distinctive, fashion-focused twist to the category "for the true avant-gardener".

Why is it important: Selfridges, focusing more on locals than tourists, intends to benefit from customers’ growing interest in gardening.

Garden centres have opened in the Oxford Street branch, in Manchester and Birmingham including an exclusive themed clothing offer from Prada, a clothing range inspired by rock band The Grateful Dead, as well as the more usual items such as own-brand compost, plants and garden gnomes.

It’s part of a 2021 theme at the chain called Good Nature and includes a ‘potting shed’ with experts on-site, workshops and events running from 25 June 25 to 11 July.

Horticulture as an activity and related sales boomed during the pandemic with reports of an extra 3 million gardeners entering the segment in 2020, almost half of them aged under 45.

Selfridges launches garden centres with fashion twist