In a year when most social activities were curtailed by public health restrictions, there was nothing stopping gardeners, many first-timers and veteran green-thumbers, from pursuing their hobby in the safety of their own property. That meant business was booming at Nabuurs Gardens in Brudenell, despite the spring lockdown that prevented them from opening for the first three weeks of May.
Arny Nabuurs says he and his wife Mary even thought about not opening at all amid the uncertainty that dominated the early months of the pandemic. “Starting out last year, we were in the same boat as everybody else. Nobody knew what to expect or whether we were even going to be allowed to open the doors.”
The Nabuurs made a big push to establish an online presence to allow for a no-contact ordering and pickup experience. That was a big deal, Mr Nabuurs said, because they had to itemize every product for sale, with descriptions and prices. The website became the storefront for the first three weeks of the season until businesses considered non-essential were allowed to open.
“From there, as the summer progressed it just kept growing and getting stronger because gardening was one of the few activities people could engage in without a whole lot of restriction,” Mr Nabuurs said.
“Gardening was a real relief for a lot of people, I think, and that showed in our business last year. I feel very fortunate we were actually on the positive side of this.”
Along with the garden centre and a market which sells fresh produce from the Nabuurs’ farm, the business also includes a cafe. Sales were down in that part of the operation as one would expect, but feedback was positive from customers who did check it out, Mr Nabuurs said.
Fresh strawberries are among the most popular draws at Nabuurs’ and COVID didn’t affect those sales.
Read the complete article at www.peicanada.com.