In a recent article published in the Ottawa Citizen, the Byward Market BIA says they need more parking for garden shoppers becuase they’re losing out to big box stores where people buy flats of supplies in one go.
I needed to buy plants for our garden, so I hauled out the cargo bike and hit the garden centre to see how many plants we could fit into the Babboe. (A lot!)
- 12 pots of herbs
- 4 medium size perennials
- 2 large perennials
- garlic and onions
- 2 flats of annuals
- 1 pot of lavender
Since we were buying all of the herbs and flowers for this season, I knew the bill would be fairly substantial and that I didn’t have enough cash on hand to visit a traditional market. For me, the biggest obstacle of the traditional marketplace for plants was not my mode of transportation, but rather the mode of financial transaction.
I knew that at the Superstore I could pay with my credit card if I decided to go plant crazy (which I did).
No bike rack? No problem. My bike has a rear-wheel lock so I just pull right up to the entrance and lock up.
We filled up one trolly’s worth of plants: herbs, some annuals and some discounted perennials. Could it all fit?
Of course it could. With room to spare. Even with a passenger.
With the right bike for the job, buying a large quantity of plants or heavy produce isn’t a problem.
Flat of geraniums? No problem.
Pumpkins? Easy.
Christmas tree and wreath? Done and done.
