Pike Nursery's bankruptcy petition, like the exposed shores of Lake Lanier, is one of the most visible signs of Georgia's drought. Other garden centers and wholesale growers report similar pressures.

"Everybody in this industry is scared to death," says Lisa Bartlett, manager of Chattahoochee Home and Garden in east Cobb County.

Chattahoochee is closing its retail nursery this winter after 25 years, a decision that had more to do with a property sale than watering restrictions. Chattahoochee's landscape design business will continue.

Even so, Chatthoochee abandoned plans for a big final selling season because of the drought. The nursery quit bringing in new plants, even fall staples like pansies.

"Nobody is going to buy them anyway," Bartlett says.

Ladyslipper has laid off 11 employees since early October, everyone except the three family members who own the business. Retail sales have dropped 75 percent.

The Cherokee County nursery grows much of what it sells, and invested heavily this summer in pansies. With other nearby nurseries closing, Ladyslipper seemed in a good position to pick up extra business.

The outdoor watering ban took effect just as its pansies were ready for sale. With nearly 40,000 unsold flats of pansies still on hand, the nursery is preparing for the inevitable. In about two weeks, Ladyslipper will pay for dumpsters and haul them to a landfill.

Owner Lula Norris figures that's a loss of $400,000 to $500,000. She doesn't know how they'll pay for a spring crop.

"For the first time in my life, I don't have a plan," Norris says. "I don't know what to do for spring, or if there's any point in doing anything for spring."

What's especially frustrating for nursery owners is knowing that many of their plants could be watered legally and nurtured through the winter by using reclaimed gray water from showers and sinks.

Fall is the best season for planting. Cooler temperatures and a natural dormant stage mean many plants need less water. They also have time to establish roots before summer's heat arrives.

Customers aren't getting the message.

"There's a lot more people who are afraid the plants won't survive, even though this is a good time to plant," says Jerry Bell, one of the owners of Habersham Gardens, Inc. of Atlanta. The company operates a retail nursery and offers landscape design and maintenance.

Bell, the company's chief financial officer, estimates that retail sales are down 25 percent, and landscaping if off 20 percent. Habersham has laid off up to 20 percent of its staff, and is tightening expenses. For now, it's not planning any major changes and will keep all its divisions operating. Bell figures they're OK unless the drought continues for another year or so.

Norris has given up praying for rain this fall. It's too late to make a difference for Ladyslipper. She's still praying for rain, though.

She hopes it will come in time to nurture a spring selling season and keep the 11-year-old nursery in business for another year.