Mar 19, 2020 at 2:19 PM Market Blooms, the North Market’s floral shop, gave away boxes of free fresh flowers Thursday afternoon, as not to waste its final shipment of flowers before the shop closes up to wait out the coronavirus. Marty McGreevy wasn’t expecting everything to happen so fast. McGreevy, owner of Market Blooms in the North Market, had seen her business slow as more people started social distancing, and she knew she would soon close to wait out the coronavirus. So she posted on social media Wednesday afternoon that her shop would give away free fresh flowers on Thursday from noon to 5 p.m. She wasn’t sure how many people would show, but she hoped her small gesture would lift some spirits and make staying home more tolerable. >> This story is being provided free as a public service to our readers during the coronavirus outbreak. You can find more stories on coronavirus here. Please support local journalism by subscribing to The Columbus Dispatch at subscribe.dispatch.com. Just before noon Thursday, McGreevy rolled out carts with buckets of hydrangeas, roses, lilies and greenery to the market’s front steps. There were already a couple dozen people waiting outside and keeping their distance. Her rules were clear: no more than three bunches of flowers per person and keep your distance from one another. The small crowd descended on the buckets and boxes of flowers as soon as they opened, respectfully taking their bunches and giving each other some space. Within minutes, every last flower was gone. On top of the flower giveaway, McGreevy also collected donations for the Community Shelter Board, a Columbus nonprofit that provides shelter and other resources to the homeless. McGreevy chose to support the Commuinty Shelter Board because its founders have been patrons of her shop […]