The garden center season is launched in Abitibi-Témiscamingue

With the arrival of good weather, the craze is felt for the purchase of flowers and plants.

The owner of the Serlivard garden center in Val-d’Or, Linda Laliberté, explains that the late arrival of spring, however, has delayed the arrival of customers and has meant that a large amount of work must be done in a short time. weather.

Last year, in April, we had already started. We have the same workload, the same clients and the same tasks, but in a much shorter time frame. We are in a job where we have to adapt to the temperature, so we are used to it and we will get there she assures.

The owner of Center Jardin Lac Pelletier in Rouyn-Noranda, Suzie Éthier, agrees. She believes that the enthusiasm observed for gardening during the first two years of the pandemic will continue this summer.

Unlike last year, the temperatures are much less beautiful, much less hot, the snow has melted much later. We still have snow banks elsewhere. The traffic is a little delayed, but I have the impression that there is still as much enthusiasmshe believes.

The owner of the Center Jardin Lac Pelletier, Suzie Éthier.

Photo: Radio-Canada / Jean-Michel Cotnoir

Warm temperatures in time for Mother’s Day

In Val-d’Or as in Rouyn-Noranda, we are delighted that the arrival of good weather coincides with the weekend of Mother’s Day.

Mother’s Day is always a good start to the season, says Linda Laliberté. This week, we really saw a “peak” the greenhouses are overflowing and it is magnificent.

There are many who will come to pick up gifts for their mother, or even come shopping with their mother, it’s quite nice, underlines Suzie Éthier. In addition, it announces sunshine all weekend. For us, that makes a big difference.

Employees are busy at the start of the season at the Center Jardin Lac Pelletier.

Photo: Radio-Canada / Jean-Michel Cotnoir

Suzie Éthier maintains that she is currently entering the busiest two months of the year at work.

May-June are the two busiest months of the year, it’s the busiest, so right now for me, it’s 7 days a week, 10 hours a day.she points out.

Increase in production costs

While inflation is affecting a majority of sectors of the economy, garden centers have not been spared the drastic price increases of recent months.

Everything has increased, it’s not complicated. Propane for heating increased. All materials increased. We just built a new greenhouse, prices have exploded. The soil, the production pots and the minimum wage, everything has increased. We have a lot of employees who are on minimum wage, so all of this means that it costs us a lot moreobserves Suzie Éthier.

These cost increases will be partly reflected in the prices paid by consumers.

We raised the prices a little bit, I was even a bit conservative. I’m going to see this year how much we’re eating away at our profit because yes, it’s much more expensive to produce this year than in other yearsstates the owner of Center Jardin Lac Pelletier.

Herb plants at Center Jardin Lac Pelletier.

Photo: Radio-Canada / Jean-Michel Cotnoir

Despite the many cost increases, Linda Laliberté believes that it will still be possible to limit prices at the checkout.

Our advantage is that we produce our planters and vegetable plants here, so transport costs have less of an impact. We manage to offer a good quality of products at a good priceconcludes Ms. Laliberté.