WILLMAR — As people are home with little to do, gardening has become an increasingly appealing option. So much so, that area nurseries and greenhouses are exhausting their supply and closing for the season, much earlier than prior years.
“Flowers are going fast," said Catherine Meder at Green Lake Nursery in Spicer. She said they just received their last truck of supplies.
Certain types of plants have been selling out more quickly than others, with annuals and vegetables nearly sold out at Creekside Greenhouses in Pennock, though they “are sitting pretty good on perennials,” according to Lisa Grindberg.
Other greenhouses are completely sold out for the season, such as Martin’s Produce & Greenhouse in Grove City. Nurseries that plant all of their own supply, such as Martin’s and Creekside, are facing more shortages as they run out of seed.
Business owners speculate that gardening has grown in popularity because of the early onset of spring weather and extensive time at home. Greenhouses are seeing new faces, and many customers at an earlier time than usual.
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The positive effects of this recent interest are that many people are finding time to try their hand at gardening, or reinvigorate an old hobby. However, the drawbacks are that “people who waited to buy plants are having trouble finding what they used to be finding,” said Grindberg.
If people are concerned about finding their preferred plants, “check around in other nurseries” advises Anna Martin. If products are difficult to find or if gardening is a new hobby, then Martin encourages support of a local farmers market. She said they plan to host the first farmers market on Saturday, at the backside parking lot of the Willmar Kandi Mall.
Overall, Martin “felt very blessed that people were willing to buy from them and support a local business.”
