As kale and spinach flew off the shelves, people kept asking for fruit trees.
Bookcliff Gardens, 755 26 Road, hadnât carried fruit trees for years, but 2020 made its owners, Rick and Steph Griggs, reconsider.
It was a year for gardens unlike any other. Seeds, tomatoes, zucchini, trees and nearly anything else growing at area garden centers and nurseries was snapped up by customers in 2020.
âLast year was such a surprise compared to any previous year,â said Chris Adolf, who co-owns Valley Grown Nursery with his brother, Evan Adolf, and parents, Kathy and Del Adolf.
There were massive jumps up in sales of vegetable plants, trees and shrubs, he said. âIt was incredible.â
Zucchini plants are notoriously prolific. Pop a couple of those seeds in the ground, water them and keep the squash bugs off, and you will have enough zucchini to practically feed a neighborhood.
However, in 2020 some garden centers actually had to put a buying cap on the purchase of zucchini plants.
Breann Fiihr, who owns Mount Garfield Greenhouse with her husband, Travis, recalled a customer who wanted to purchase 12 zucchini plants.
âYouâre going to have zucchini growing out your ears!â she thought.
Cucumbers and peppers â this year was âoff the hookâ for hot peppers â and, of course, tomatoes were all snapped up as fast as the tender plants could grow, Fiihr said.