A North Arlington garden center was busy with customers Saturday ahead of Mother's Day.
Plants and flowers of all kinds made their way from shopping carts to the checkout counter at Charlie's Nursery and Garden Center.
Business was "blooming" on what's said to be one of the busiest weekends of the year for the business -- and it's not just because everybody was buying a flower for their mother.
"It's a huge kickoff for us. It's always been that date that people know it's Mother's Day weekend. It's time to get out in the garden, get my flowers, get my vegetables get your lawn care going. Put your fertilizer down, your grass seed. It's time to rock and roll and from here on out until the summer. It's our in-season now, so it gets very busy, very hectic," said co-owner Joe DiDonna.
He says the garden center prepares for this weekend months in advance. The business brings in more than 100 types of plants so customers have a wide selection to choose from.
One of the biggest sellers not just for Mother's Day but this time of year are hanging baskets. Charlie's owners say they bring in over 1,000 every month.
DiDonna advises to garden afficionados who plant for the season just keep a close eye on their flowers.
"You're good now, but you still have to watch those nightime temperatures for those very sensitive plants. You know, some basil and some other annuals that are a little bit tender. Maybe you have to cover them if we drop back into the 40s," he says.
DiDonna also recommends to garden enthusiast who want a plant that their local garden center has available to purchase them right away because it might not be there the next time they go back.