You know that nightmare where you’re running as fast as you can, but you just can’t keep up? Then you’ll totally understand the sleep-deprived, breakneck ride that Southern California’s plant nurseries and growers went on in 2020, and are bracing for today.
On the face of it, 2020 was a great business year. Most nurseries reported huge increases in sales and first-time customers eager to grow their own food, even in containers, or enrich their homes with beautiful plants.
But the stress and sheer labor involved in reconfiguring their businesses to keep staff and customers safe during the pandemic? That was another story, a hair-raising tale still bleeding into 2021.