Sally Rummery
Stepping through the doors of Mooi Plants on George Street, I find myself enveloped in the coolness of an indoor jungle. Plants hanging from the ceiling beams brush against me while pots of greenery fill every horizontal surface. Owner of the incredible passion project, Suzie New steps from within the oasis. She tells me that while lockdown due to the covid-19 pandemic originally forced her to close her doors to the public, she used the time to renovate the building before reopening.
“People have been doing more things from home that bring them joy. Since re-opening just before Mother’s Day plants have fortunately become extremely popular and as a business, things have been running steadily.”
While winter usually dampens the spirits of most gardeners, the shorter days and cooler weather have done little to curb the newfound enthusiasm for plants by Bathurst locals. Alex Kalkman, owner of Garden Starters nursery greets me in his potting shed with a smile. He excitedly tells me of the new plants he is taking cuttings from. Alex’s career in gardening began in 1981 when he started working with his uncle after finishing school and today, he prides his own nursery on producing outdoor plants perfectly suited to the Bathurst climate. He tells me that while the pandemic lately has been mildly inconvenient for sourcing products from Victoria, the increase in business during lockdown has been worth it.
“People are home and are doing more house and garden maintenance. It has been good for business”
“Plants have become extremely popular as people are doing more things from home that bring them joy”
The boom in local nursery businesses as people spend more time at home in their gardens has led to an increase in local spending, profiting Bathurst’s economy.