• Social media graphics for Garden Centers (or any business that finds it useful)
• Member feedback on what they are doing to practice COVID-19 precautions
• Reminder of our industry status as viewed by the Governor’s office

• “(we - MDA) Reached out to the governor's office for some guidance. Moving into this new phase of action to mitigate the spread of COVID-19, all businesses should make an honest determination if their operation is essential to public health and safety. Businesses that are not directly linked to public health and safety should scale back their operations, if they have not done so already. Specifically, most retail businesses should immediately move to eliminate foot traffic, end curbside pick-up options and move to delivery only.”  

• Garden Center – we are taking appointments and allowing one customer in the store at a time. One staff member, practicing social distancing, assists the customer. We encourage the customers to not come out with us as their sole travel destination, rather, add a visit to us, with their regular visit to the grocery store. Other COVDI-19 sanitation procedures in place, as well.
• Garden Center – our yard is open to landscapers whose orders are pulled and set aside; we are screening and limiting the number of homeowners on the property at all times. Landscapers have minimal to no physical contact with any other person. Orders are prepaid.
• Garden Center – we are taking telephone and online orders and preparing them for curbside pick or delivery. Retail store is closed to foot traffic.
• Garden Center – we Facetime with customers and walk the store and show them desired product. An employee will pull the order and customer will pick up curbside or we will deliver.
• Garden Centers in general – the overwhelming number of garden centers who have contacted me say their customers are encouraging them to remain open. This is a very good sign. Consider full switch to online and phone orders with delivery option to remove foot traffic as requested by the Governor.
•  Garden Center – Yesterday (Monday, March 30 – before the stay-at-home-order went into effect) we were so busy we could barely keep up, today it’s a ghost town (retail). Some people care less about COVID, others are scared out of their minds. We’ve seen many selfless, gracious, hard-working people that want to make something of it and continue. We’ve also seen some of the most selfish, self-centered, all about me, care less about the business type perspectives. They’re waiting for someone else to make the decision, so they don’t have to work. Making a decision to protect your health and stop working is one thing – completely respectable. Dropping work like a hot potato and expecting someone else to pick it up, with no notice, that’s something else. [Vanessa’s note – anyone else seeing employees opting for unemployment? I know people have some tough decisions to make.]
• Greenhouse Grower – we deliver within and out of state. We’ve changed deliveries to be only early morning. We leave the pallets behind with the sales order and our drivers have no contact with other persons.  
• Landscape – our #1 priority is the safety of our employees and clients. Only the foreman reports to our home office. He loads his truck, with assistance as needed, with social distancing invoked. Other crew members report directly to jobsite. We reimburse those employees for their mileage. All employees are given the option to continue working or go on unemployment, with very high hope that we are able to give those who opt for unemployment their job back when this crisis is over. Everything at the home office and on job sites is continually/routinely cleaned i.e. door handles, tools and equipment, steering wheels, etc. Our employees are not to engage with clients and their families. We contact clients and are assured by them if they want us to continue with their services. We tell clients that our employees will not be engaging with them, as they all practice social distancing. Our clients are asking us to keep working, to provide that aesthetic and psychological place of calm and peace in an otherwise chaotic and uncertain time. Most of them are working from home now and are very appreciative of the work we are able to do for them.