Yellowknife (June 18/03) - It's spring planting time and business is blooming at garden supply outlets.

With some help from the weather person, green stuff is literally flying off the shelves at Yellowknife stores.

And greenbacks are flowing into the tills.

"We are twice as busy as we were last year at this time," said Canadian Tire general manager Jean-Marc Pare.

At Wal-Mart, manager Rodney Arshadi said the store doubled last year's order from southern Alberta suppliers in the hopes of a good year.

They won't be disappointed.

"We brought in some different things like herbs this year and they've been very popular," said Arshadi.

He said the store will bring in two truckloads of bedding plants and flowers and he doesn't expect any problem selling everything.

Yellowknife Garden Centre's Jerry Vandenbilche, swamped with customers over the weekend, had much the same story.

"It's a short season so it is pretty well like this every year," said Vandenbilche.

Gardening is a rite of spring across the country, but has a special significance in the North, he observes.

"After a long winter I think it is important to people to add color to their lives."

Vandenbilche, who purchased the store with two partners four years ago, sources most of his product from the ex-owners' large greenhouse operation in Red Deer.

"Most of what we buy comes from southern Alberta but we also bring in shrubs and small trees from as far away as Victoria," he said.

"Every year we try to bring in something different for people to try."

The store will bring in five truckloads this year, which started coming soon after the ferry opened.

The short season means the store is open only from about the middle of May to around the middle of July.

In eight weeks, Vandenbilche expects to sell about 500,000 units.

Like his competitors, he also offers a broad range of seeds, potting soil mixes, plant food, and gardening implements.

"We've tried to be a one stop shop so people don't have to run around here and there to get whatever they need," he said.

"We also offer gardening workshops and they've been very popular. It is a way for people to get together and compare notes."