Hope I dont offend anyone with this idea:
the sadness of garden centres throwing away all their beautiful plants due to being closed. Could they be used instead to create memorial garden spaces where the hundreds of families who have lost loved ones could visit in their local areas?

Are your garden centers closed? In Nevada, they are deemed essential services. Not that anyone is buying anything.

The garden centers bought the plants so, what they choose to do with them (plants) is up them (garden center). Its a great idea but, you will have to take it up with the garden centers.

Let us know what they say.

Personally I think it's a great idea but the " powers that be" might not

Well, I agree @AnnaSB41. And sadly, where we live in Morgan Hill our garden centers are also shut down. Lowe's is the only one I believe.

Memorial Garden is a wonderful thought!

Personally I would prefer to load them in planes and drop them on China!!! How long before these people create another pandemic with their "wet markets"???

wow. You do realize that the 'little guy' in china has no control over this. ? Many of those wet markets are in poor areas and people are just trying to get by. It is their way of life, albeit littered with bad results, it isn't going to go away over night. Now I am going to get myself into a lot of trouble ..... I don't believe for one tiny min that tRump didn't know what was going on long before it was all brought into the US public light. IF the US had taken proactive measures in offering to help china eliminate/treat/cure this from the beginning (regardless of whether they asked for help or not, or withheld information or not), I wonder if we could have saved lives, gotten it under control before it spread to the US. His whole attitude about it is, well it's just Chinese we don't care about them, if they die- they aren't Americans. The question for me is, IF this had originated in an ally country, would he had offered more proactive help before it got out of hand? It seems to me we have not only a virus on our hands but an ugly case of racism. ?

Garden nurseries here are open, walmart has CHOSEN to close the garden center while lying and saying the county 'made' them, the county says they only 'suggested' it, but expected them to do it. In other words it was still optional. Well, that's a mess. Lowes still open. Don't know about garden center at HD though, haven't been there.

They can write them off as a tax loss I guess? They'd all rather waste them before they gave them away. Farmers here dumping thousands of gallons of milk down the drain everyday No way to donate that either I guess, processing ect would cost money. Lots of waste everywhere. Sad times for sure.

Anna asked a valid question. She did not ask for your view of world politics. This is a gardening forum where we talk about gardening. Time for you both to edit yourselves out of this conversation.

Frillylily said:wow. You do realize that the 'little guy' in china has no control over this. ? Many of those wet markets are in poor areas and people are just trying to get by. It is their way of life, albeit littered with bad results, it isn't going to go away over night. Now I am going to get myself into a lot of trouble ..... I don't believe for one tiny min that tRump didn't know what was going on long before it was all brought into the US public light. IF the US had taken proactive measures in offering to help china eliminate/treat/cure this from the beginning (regardless of whether they asked for help or not, or withheld information or not), I wonder if we could have saved lives, gotten it under control before it spread to the US. His whole attitude about it is, well it's just Chinese we don't care about them, if they die- they aren't Americans. The question for me is, IF this had originated in an ally country, would he had offered more proactive help before it got out of hand? It seems to me we have not only a virus on our hands but an ugly case of racism. ?

China kicked the CDC out of the country when the virus started. The are a totalitarian, Communist regime. What were we supposed to do? Threaten to nuke them if they wouldn't let our medical researchers in?

@Calif_Sue, can you please stop this?

Lowe's here is open but with an entrance policy. Only so many people allowed in garden section at one time.
Home Depot parking lot had fewer cars in it but their outside garden center entrance seemed shuttered. People probably needed to enter from the main store.

But Michigan is not a good example because we generally get a later start on spring. I went to the market Monday and they had daffodils, hyacinths, tulips, pansies, ranunculus for sale for the first time. All were outside the main doors AND down by the garden center entrance.
Stores normally get vegetables in during the last full week in April. Every place is usually fully stocked just before Mother's Day!

Hey ya'll this is the ask a question forum...not the appropriate place for this "conversation". If I were new here and saw this I would head for the hills never to return. Please..I'm sure new folks stuck at home finding this site for the first time DO NOT WANT TO READ THIS...they are likely looking for a bright spot in these trying times. Ok...I've said my peace

A couple of people here are seriously at risk of loosing access to this AAQ forum. Please refrain from commentary that insights controversy. In fact, I ask those members to please edit their posts.
A simple question was asked, lets keep the answers directed to that question.

Erm, was not expecting this....
My question was about making the most of beautiful plants being wasted with centres closed, for a way of finding some comfort for families who have lost loved ones, and with rising numbers globally, they may not even be able to personally lay them to rest themselves.
Memorial gardens can be somewhere to go to remember a soul lost thru these traumatic times.

I only wanted to ask this forum to get some good advice on how this could be suggested further, perhaps even what community projects might be good to approach, etc

Thank you to those of you who positively responded, these are the only opinions that are worth taking on board.

The only nurseries closed here are the independents, because they are not considered essential. They are not considered essential because like Lowes, Ace, Home Depot etc, they do not sell hardware and cleaning supplies and tools etc etc. Ours had to close when De Santis issued the formal stay at home order for Florida, but the workers are still up there caring for the plants, until they reopen. They said they were anticipating open again at the end of April, hopefully, if the order was rescinded by then.

Given the email ads I have gotten from the local independent nurseries, that might be the place to start. They don't have a set of "corporate rules" and might be more amiable to the idea of a local project. I think most areas have garden societies of some sort too, they might have some sort of ongoing communication with the local nurseries.

I like the memorial garden idea.

Our greenhouses are still open I guess tomato plants and such are essential
they are for me
I have decided to ONLY buy local from now on (no box store) because of this virus , I guess some good can come from this

I would think contacting the local master-gardeners would be a great place to start if one had plants going to waste . they keep up parks and memorials and nursing homes around here, as volunteer projects.

Thanks so much for the lovely feedback and suggestions.
I hope that you all stay safe, stay well and better times will follow for everyone.
Much love from across the pond in the UK xxx

Back at ya Anna. 🤗😘💗💗

Customers will get larger plants as long as the businesses continue to water them till they can be sold. Ive been looking at some online nursery sites and they are actually selling out of plants.