RALEIGH – Flowers and plants are almost always the perfect way to let someone know you are thinking of them, and with so many varieties grown in North Carolina, it is easy to find fresh, beautiful plants or flowers for any occasion, such as Mother’s Day – hint, hint.
“North Carolina’s floriculture industry is as vibrant as the colorful plants and flowers grown in the state,” said Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler. “We have more than 19 million square feet of floral greenhouse space, and the state is in the top 10 nationally for production of bedding and garden plants and poinsettias, and for sales of chrysanthemums, azaleas, orchids and hostas. Our growers give local buyers lots of options.”
Mother’s Day weekend is traditionally one of the busiest of the year at the farmers markets, with many shoppers picking up plants as gifts, said Robert Smothers, assistant manager of the Robert G. Shaw Piedmont Triad Farmers Market in Colfax.
In addition to that market, the N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services operates the Western N.C. Farmers Market in Asheville, the Charlotte Regional Farmers Market and the State Farmers Market in Raleigh.
“All four state-operated farmers markets report a good availability of plants and cut flowers for this weekend,” said Zach Mussler, NCDA&CS marketing specialist. “Shoppers can also find local nurseries and garden centers in their areas through the Tarheel Gardening and the N.C. Commercial Flower Growers Association websites.”
Links to the sites are www.tarheelgardening.com/ and www.nccfga.org.
With more than $254 million in wholesale value, North Carolina’s floriculture industry is a significant part of the state’s $78 billion agriculture and agribusiness industry.
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