KITCHENER -- Local garden centres are anticipating a busy weekend after the province announced Wednesday that they would be allowed to reopen.
At St. Jacobs Country Gardens, they say it's a relief to be able to open.
They say it's hard to sell their product online because many people want to see, feel and smell their plants before buying.
Some customers are excited about the news, too.
"They've been respectful for the circumstances and they're just as happy as we are to have things open up," an employee there tells CTV.
"I think people are just ready to get out. People love their flowers, they love gardening."
Staff members expect that, with more people staying home, they'll have had more of a chance to look at their property.
That should help them decide which outdoor projects they want to start.
Earlier this week, the province had announced that garden centres would be able to start offering curbside pickup, something that many retailers had already been offering.
Some, like Perry Grobe of Grobe's Nursery, had planned to close in that case, saying that delicate products like flowers and plants were not suitable for curbside pickup.
"The overwhelming number of consumers will not accept a perishable item being selected without seeing it and paying for it in advance of pickup," Grobe told CTV on Tuesday.
"Some may, but most will not and there are not enough revenue dollars generated to make the model sustainable."
The province also announced on Wednesday that hardware stores would be allowed to reopen, too, provided they follow strict guidelines about how they have to operate amid the pandemic.
Other businesses allowed to reopen include self-serve car washes, some construction projects and car dealerships by appointment. Marinas and golf courses are allowed to prepare for their season but can't open just yet.
