Weird scenes at the garden center

 

Jackie wins! Thanks for playing, everybody, but most of all, thanks for your often hilarious and provocative comments.

Just for fun, here are some of the strange or not-so-strange things people mentioned having seen at garden centers and nurseries.

Air plants (tillandsias) glued (ouch) to plastic fairies. I can’t even imagine what that looks like. Coincidentally, our randomly chosen winner Jackie mentioned those.

Booze. A lot of places have little wine bars and cafés. I can kind of get behind that. A glass of wine while shopping for plants? Sure.

Llama fibers (from Deborah). I still don’t understand that one.

Reading Dirt mentioned life-size elk and lion sculptures (made of iron!).

Common Weeder talks about miniature John Deere equipment for kids. That may not be strange to many of you, but I’ve never heard of it.  I looked for it on the web, though, and found a JOHN DEERE BARBIE. Check out her boots! I loved all the little mini-tractors and stuff, too.

Kat talks about perfume (they have that at my favorite nursery actually, but it also has great plants), while LauraBee has seen 25k oriental rugs. Marie found a rug made out of stones. 

Many commenters mentioned horribly tacky holiday décor, from fake trees with fake spiders hanging from them to Easter eggs the size of bowling balls.

Katxena found textured wallpaper, Elizabeth could do without the hand-painted silk scarves and PlantingOaks wonders why, why, why the decorative table lamps.

I think the saddest things, even sadder than the dead plants (which we’ve all seen) are the plastic ones.

Oh, and on moving merchandise. Yes, we understand seasonal changes and moving stuff to pique the interest. What we don’t get is hiding or discontinuing basic garden supplies—which is what started this whole rant.

Again, thanks, and may your next trip to the garden center be enjoyable, whether you find what you are looking for or not.

Comments

[Peter Hoh]

Nice boots!

['nora]

One of the larger nurseries near me (Homestead Gardens in Davidsonville, Md) actually raises llamas, so finding llama fiber (and llama knickknacks) there is at least explicable, though probably still weird.

[judybusy]

I grew up with a dad who was a fanatic John Deere farmer. Whenever I see the miniatures, it makes me smile.

High school mates of mine make miniatures by hand and sell them for hundred of dollars. Not for the kids.

I NEED that John Deere Barbie!

[Kathy J, Washington Gardener Magazine]

Are the llama fibers for high-end bird's nests?

[Teri]

I suppose I should be happy the bamboo stakes in my garden centre are right beside the giant bronze elk (yeah that totally didn't seem weird to me).

But both are quite a bit further in then the sofas and table lamps. And yes it is a real garden centre, not home depot style. they call them "patio sofas" and they are nicer then the stuff in my living room. And in this part of the world outdoor living is 3 months long if you are lucky.

[Jackie]

Thanks, Elizabeth! I feel as happy as that Barbie looks! Don't we all wear big hoop earrings and pink sunglasses out in the garden?

Cheers, Jackie

[Danielle]

If only I looked that good when gardening.... Or any other time, for that matter.

[luise h.]

Barbie Dolls in general nauseate me.Even with those cute boots.

[Janit Calvo]

Um... Weird? I think I need a John Deere Barbie for our collection! We actually have a living miniature garden that she would look great in. Going to see if any there are any hot pink lawn mowers to go with...
:o)

[Livia]

My 4-year-old daughter is going through a severe "princess" phase. We battle pretty regularly about appropriate attire for gardening, walking in the pasture to visit grandpa's cows, etc. I think I'm gonna have to spring for the John Deere Barbie. Maybe it will help her to understand that one can still be pretty when not wearing a satin dress. Maybe? Please?! Or maybe not. Maybe I'm grasping at straws.