What does Elisa's invitation to the stranger to enter her garden tell the reader about her feelings toward him

In the beginning of the story "The Chrysanthemums" by John Steinbeck, Elisa resists the man's maneuvers to entice her to give him pots or pans to mend or scissors and knives to sharpen. On seeing her chrysanthemums, the man comments that a customer, who has a very beautiful flower garden but does not have any chrysanthemums, had requested him to get some chrysanthemum seeds for her. Seeing that the man is taking a keen interest in her beloved chrysanthemums, Elisa warms up to him and starts trusting him. She invites the man to enter her garden and have a look at her chrysanthemums.