Though some proposed tariffs on Canadian imports have been delayed, business owners near the border are preparing for cost increases

Commerce Department data shows retail sales for sporting goods, hobby, instrument and book stores were down 5.4% in April compared to a year ago. Sales for garden equipment and supplies were down too.

Inventory loss “could have been a lot worse,” said Johanna Dominguez of Put a Plant on It. But merchants suffered as shoppers stayed home.

Rising freight rates and delayed deliveries are forcing a Wisconsin plant nursery to find ways around the supply chain tie-ups.

Many people bought plants during the pandemic. A lot of them seem to be alive, as is people’s interest in them.