Novice gardeners have a go
Backyard gardeners, and those who have never planted anything in their life before, have kept a Timaru garden centre on its toes.
The day before lockdown began Plantorama Nursery and Garden Centre ran out of vegetable seedlings and is only now just starting to correct its supply.
Centre owner/operator Dave Caird said his supplier in Invercargill had decided to halt its truck movements before lockdown which coincided with a surge in demand for the plants.
‘‘It was phenomenal . . . We have never run out before to this extent,’’ he said.
Occasionally in the past it had been under ordering that had caused a problem, he said.
He purchased the centre in 2014 but had worked for the previous owner since high school.
Caird has been making his way through a waiting list of about 20 to 30 customers wanting vegetable plants through the lockdown, which he had just cleared.
All orders since the Covid-19 pandemic have been placed via phone or email while the actual gardens have been blocked to the public. The supply truck was back up and running when level 3 was implemented on April 28.
Lockdown had spurred nongardeners of all age ranges to take the plunge, Caird said.
He was happy to offer free advice to them. Others had been busy with the chainsaw and wanted to fill the gaps in their garden with colourful flora.
‘‘Some have never gardened before,’’ Caird said.
He expects the next major demand phase would be in July when citrus saplings are ready for planting.
Plantorama retail manager Mark Stockman described the demand of vegetable plants as ‘‘measured madness’’.
With a lot of the plants grown on site, and locally, as well as the supplier back up and running he did not expect there to be any more supply issues.