Garden Nursery Gift Vouchers
Surely any day is a good day to go to the nursery, particularly if one has a gardening voucher to spend... So why do budget-minded gardeners (like me) get in a complete dither when presented with such a windfall?
How About Some Roses?
It's autumn, I've been given a gardening voucher from my work (payment for bossing some students around) and it's totally unexpected. But what to get? Something big, or lots of little, boring things? Maybe a tree? Do I have enough trees? Some new roses? Something special? And what exactly would be special? How about a statue? Is this a good day to go to the nursery? Will I be inspired? How will I know what to get?
How About Some Ericas?
Pop It in the Kitchen Drawer?
Oh dear - there's far too much tension and uncertainty here. Perhaps I'll just pop the voucher away in the top kitchen drawer. That way I can enjoy its money-worth a thousand times over - each day I'll think of something new to spend it on.
But this plan has a serious down-side. Gardening things do get lost in the top kitchen drawer. It's where I thought I'd stashed all my plant labels, plasters for rose-thorn finger injuries, and so on...
This latest gift is for services rendered, but occasionally I get given nursery vouchers to celebrate birthdays or special occasions (like having the local Garden Club to visit). I wonder if the purchase from such a gift voucher should reflect the reason for the giving. People do like to know.
Scenario One
So - did you enjoy your gardening voucher? What did you spend it on?
Hmm... Seed potatoes, neem oil, and grow-bags for next year's tomatoes.
Uh...
Scenario Two
So - did you enjoy your gardening voucher? What did you spend it on?
A beautiful statue of a shepherdess carrying a dear little lamb in her arms.
Awwwwwwww... That's soooooo lovely! A Wonderful choice! I must come round and meet her...
Seed potatoes really can't compete with a shepherdess.
Plenty of Nursery Plants
I bought a fat and expensive red-leaf Cordyline with my last voucher. I was excited, but the 'gifter' was not a fan of New Zealand natives and had the nerve to voice her disappointment. 'Goodness' she said rather gruffly, 'Surely you've got enough of those? You should have bought something pretty - one of those new patio roses, or a nice Camellia for spring. Do you have a Cinnamon Cindy?'
Buy Me! Buy Me!
I do have a Cinnamon Cindy, but I pretended not to. And I wondered why the giver didn't just buy me that Camellia, since it was obviously on her mind. And it wouldn't have cost as much...
BIG Dollars!
But back to my latest nursery voucher. One reason for my confusion is that it's for BIG, BIG dollars, enough to buy seed potatoes for the whole street. So I feel obliged to buy something serious - like ornamental Japanese Maples with fancy names, or a brace of classic Margaret Merrill standard roses, or a concrete garden seat with cherubs attached. But I'm not a cherub fan - I prefer retro concrete garden gnomes - and I have enough roses and maples.
Hopeless!
I can't really think of any nursery items I need for the garden at the moment. Hopeless! And so the gardening world waits, with baited breath, to see exactly what the Moosey Head Gardener will do. Meanwhile, will the voucher be lost? Or will there be a sudden impulse buy and lots of giggling? If you're keen, watch this gardening space...