Thousands of Quebecers took advantage of the long May weekend by working on their yards and gardens — getting them ready for the season.
The summer-like weather couldn’t have been better for horticultural businesses. The garden centre at the Marché de l’Ouest in Montreal’s West Island traditionally brings in 30 per cent of all weekend revenues during this three-day period, according to manager John Reeves.
Some of the best selling items include hanging baskets and tropical plants, Reeves told Global News.
”I put every year above the rest. We’re always trying to go bigger and better. We are the biggest single supplier of flowers in Quebec,” he said.
Shoppers packed the aisles on Monday looking for that perfect plant or flower for their garden.
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”I’m just going around trying to see some rose bushes, some other plants, just give a little bit of colour around the house,” Andy Kontogiannis, one of the shoppers, told Global News.
The front end of the store was just as busy as shoppers stocked their cars with their horticultural needs.
”They have beautiful basil, rosemary,” Chrissie Tchakmakavigan said.
It wasn’t only busy in garden centres — many gardening enthusiasts were also hard at work sprucing up their yards.
”I’m going to do flowers. I’m going to put a few tomatoes, one cucumber, like mixed,” Sossy Hanounik said from her front yard.
Hanounik has been working in gardens for years. Her children and grandchildren do most of the work now but she still takes a lot of pride in the end result.
”I grew up with gardens. I grew up with nature,” she said.
Novices to the horticultural industry or seasoned gardening veterans alike, this weekend is when many people get their hands deep into the soil developing and harnessing their green thumbs for the rest of the season.
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