Last year at this time I missed going to the opening day at my favorite greenhouse. The pandemic was on everyone's mind and we all were unsure just what we should do as businesses around here figured out how to stay open. Shopping for flowers was not at the top of the list, so I didn't go until very late in May. By then, most of what I wanted was already gone.
Now the pandemic is still going on, with a bucketful of variants to show up even the worst of flu bugs, but I did go check out opening day. And so did everyone else. And this visit has to be one of the quickest visits I have ever made.
It was chaotic. And crowded. The aisles of flowers are barely wide enough for one person with small sized feet to walk up without falling atop of the begonias, but add in hundreds of anxious gardeners who are on social distance overload and the aisles are un-passable. Never mind the bonking of your head on the hanging baskets from above.
I started at the other side of the greenhouse where the Proven Winners single potted plants were set and even there, occasionally, a customer with both hands carrying a full tray of flowers would step in front of you and then stop to pluck another pot of something. Understandable...how can you resist not taking it ALL home with you. I know I had a hard time limiting myself to the two trays of annuals I chose. We will need to return later this week for the nighttime stars petunias I left without. Fingers crossed there is one left...(my hubby likes that one as remembrance of his mom who loved them. And today was what would have been her 95th birthday).
Paying for the items at the front of the greenhouse where everyone seemed to end up at once moved along quickly...and we were on way with two trays...of about 150 plants. Plants that will go into my little greenhouse shelving until after the frost warnings have past.
Here are a few of the photos I snapped quickly. There wasn't time to stop and take a really good photo with so many people trying to get around all of the aisles.
