Home Depot just reported a successful quarter with $38 billion in sales, blowing away analyst expectations.

Source: CNBC

The parking lot was busy on a Tuesday afternoon, and as I walked in I noticed a sign directing curbside pickup customers.

Many retailers, including Home Depot, added or expanded curbside offerings that experts credit with helping them survive the pandemic.

Source: Insider

Walking up to the store, I was struck by how much greenery was everywhere, from flowering plants to vegetable seedlings.

Home Depot, at least at my location, essentially doubles in size in the spring, when the nursery spills outside into a large uncovered area, plus the gardening section and in front of the store.

Home Depot is typically associated with home improvement, but there was plenty to look at for a completely non-handy person with a green thumb.

Plants were arranged by variety and growing zone, which is helpful for anyone from experts to novices.

The rows and rows of plants looked nearly endless.

The planting season is important for Home Depot. CEO and president Ted Decker said the the company expects ” tremendous” sales in the garden business to report next quarter.

As you walk through the patio plant area, you enter the garden section, which is covered but still open to the outside.

That section stocks all kinds of gardening supplies, like pots, fertilizers, and garden hoes.

That section also contains mulch and other landscaping supplies.

The garden center also has its own cashier, so customers only interested in the outdoor area don’t have to go in the main store.

Next I walked into the main part of the store.

I walked through the garden area into the main area of the store.

Moving into the main area of the store, it was organized almost exactly the same as Home Depot.