GARDENING stores across Sunraysia are thriving as many people take the chance to work on their homes during social isolation.
Mildura Garden Supplies owner Emma Marks said the lockdown period was just as busy as spring.
“Everyone’s doing DIY projects and getting their garden up to scratch while they’re home,” she said.
The store is experiencing a surge in demand for fire pits, garden mix, pots, bark, planter beds and pebbles.
Mildura’s Plantarium has noticed an increase in the number of people buying seeds and seedlings.
“It took everyone by surprise when everyone started buying vegetable seedlings,” Plantarium owner Max Young said.
“It’s a welcome change — it’s great actually.”
Popular vegetable seedlings for this time of year include cauliflower, broccoli and silverbeet.
Ms Marks said it was wonderful to hear about what customers were doing in their gardens, especially with their children.
“Planting up new vegetable beds has been really popular with families and also fairy gardens,” she said.
“We’ve had people buying some nice round pebbles to make fairy gardens.
For both Ms Marks and Mr Young it was amazing to see how popular their businesses had become since COVID-19 restrictions came into effect.
“The week before all the self-isolation and social distancing came in we were dead, we were so quiet,” Ms Marks said.
“I don’t think people quite knew what was happening and then, once people realised they were going to have to stay home and they needed projects, they just started coming in.”
Mr Young said it was not just seedlings that were proving popular — people were also buying trees, shrubs and flowering plants.
“It’s just a growing trend, particularly with lockdown,” he said.
“By the end of lockdown all their gardens should be looking pretty good.”
