SAN DIEGO (KGTV) -- North Park Nursery owner Marsi Thrift can provide a list of reasons why plants are essential during the coronavirus pandemic.
"We've seen our numbers skyrocket with people buying potting soil and herbs. So many people are starting their gardens and saying 'thank you for being open because there's no other place in North Park we could get these essential garden supplies,'" said Thrift.
Doors to her store remain open for regulars and customers, and like other business, she's implemented new services to cope with COVID-19 recommended restrictions.
"In order to keep our staff safe and our community safe, we wanted to implement no contact curbside pickup. We've never done that before so that's it's new," Thrift added.
It's also easy at the same time -- you simply visit their website or call, pay and within an hour a new green companion will be waiting curbside for you.
Joyce Ortiz is a long-time loyal customer. She said she's taken advantage of their open hours, calling in their "green thumb hotline".
"They'll take the time to answer my questions by phone or by email and I can't describe how invaluable that is," Ortiz said.
Regardless of if you're seeking to ramp up your gardening skills or figuring out how to keep your new companion alive, Thrift added they're there to provide "plant therapy" in a time of need."
"We're hearing from a lot of customers that they're adding to their urban jungles, as we in the plant community call it, and they're really finding joy in that. So the silver living to everyone staying home is that a lot of people are finding comfort taking care of their plants," Thrift told 10News.