Beating the heat is the name of the game for probably just about everybody in Montana this week, but for people who work outside that’s not easy.
At Forde Nursery in Great Falls, as you can probably imagine, the heat poses a challenge not just for employees but also for the plants that they have to take care of.
Nursery Manager Sarah Kenyon, however, was confident Wednesday both the employees and the plants will be able to make it through the heatwave.
"We have noticed some varieties of things more than others. Things that are kind of tall and leggy and that have heavy growth patterns, they tend to be a little bit more affected,” Kenyon said.
Kenyon said staff at the nursery were trying to be as proactive as possible.
"We've been pretty on top of our watering game,” Kenyon explained. "Trying to be proactive, knowing it's going to be super hot, and not waiting for things to get depleted from their water source."
The same goes for the staff themselves.
"I'm a water pusher - making sure everybody's staying hydrated and taking breaks, dipping into the AC every once in a while,” said Kenyon. Click here for hot-weather gardening tips.
Some businesses may have been seeing a boost as of Wednesday as people look for ways to beat the heat.
Keith Gebo, manager of Ace Hardware on Northwest Bypass in Great Falls, said that air conditioners, swamp coolers, and water-related items like kiddie pools and pool supplies were going fast.
Items to help keep bugs away were also a big seller.
"Covid has affected a lot of things, supply and demand, has created a lot of issues there. Even down to the trucking and getting the product here. But we do a really good job. Buyers stay on top of things to where we're constantly searching for either merchandise that may be in our ACE warehouse or different venues or different sources from where we can get the product to come in,” Gebo said.
He also encouraged people to get a barbecue grill if they don’t already have one and use it to cook food so they don’t have to use the stove or oven and heat up their house.
