Just when we all started putting the jackets away and confidently saying, “Well, that’s over,” here we are again.
Tuesday morning is expected to dip to around 36° in Venice and Port Charlotte. Not brutal, not historic — just enough to remind us that Florida winter likes to send one last “just checking in” text before it leaves.
I know… we all thought the worst of the cold was behind us a couple weeks ago. Which makes this the perfect time to gently remind everyone why I suggested in previous posts not to prune too quickly after a cold snap. When you prune, you stimulate tender new growth, and those fresh cuts are much more vulnerable if cold weather decides to make a surprise return. It’s basically the plant version of wearing shorts too early in February.
If you held off on pruning, congratulations — you officially outsmarted Florida winter.
The good news is this appears to be a one-morning event, not a prolonged stretch of freezing temperatures. That makes preparation simple. Orchids, tropical houseplants, hibiscus, bougainvillea, crotons, and anything recently planted and tender should be brought inside. Hanging baskets, young annuals, and vegetable plants would appreciate protection or being moved closer to the house. Established landscape plants should be just fine with this brief dip.
If you can move it, move it. If you can’t move it, cover it. And if you forget about it… we’ll talk about it next week.
One other thing worth mentioning — our stores are very quiet on cold mornings. Foot traffic drops off significantly when temperatures dip. So, if you’ve been putting off your trip to MRT and would love a calm, unhurried shopping experience without the usual buzz, that chilly morning might actually be the perfect time to stop by any of our three locations. Peaceful shopping, no rush, plenty of room to browse.
If this really is winter’s final cameo appearance, we’ll gladly let it take a bow and move on. And if it isn’t, I’m officially blaming Punxsutawney Phil.
For more information related to cold weather preparation, mitigation, and damage treatment, please read our blog posts from the last two weeks, “Roses Are Red, Your Hibiscus is Brown – Now What?” and “Because Florida Likes To Keep Us Guessing”.
Now for warmer news.
We broke ground on our Port Charlotte expansion in March of 2025, and it’s exciting to say we’re getting close to construction completion. Walking the space now feels very different than it did a few months ago. You can finally see how it’s all going to come together.
That said, we likely won’t open the expansion until summer — and that’s intentional. We want the time to fully develop each new area, merchandise it properly, and make sure everything feels complete on day one. We’re not interested in opening early. We’re interested in opening right. There’s a lot coming, and I’m looking forward to sharing more as we get closer.
And speaking of excitement, Valentine’s weekend was a big one for us. Our Buy One, Get One Free geranium basket promotion was a huge success. We gave away hundreds of geranium baskets, and it was great seeing so many people take advantage of the deal. Nothing says romance like “I love you — and I got one free.”
The barbecue event at our Port Charlotte store was another win. Great turnout, great atmosphere, and a reminder of how much we enjoy bringing the community together. Just a reminder, we serve FREE popcorn every day at each of our three locations and currently give away about 200 free hot dogs every Saturday at our South Venice and Port Charlotte locations.
If you were able to make it — thank you. If you missed it, don’t worry. Just make sure you’re keeping an eye on our Facebook page, our newspaper ads, and of course these weekly email posts. That’s where we announce our biggest promotions, special events, and the occasional surprise giveaway. You never know what we’re going to do next.
Until next week, protect the orchids, resist the urge to prune too soon, and maybe keep a light jacket handy — just in case winter has one more opinion to share.
See you in the garden.