Originally Posted by 'madgardener

Thanks Donna......(dragging toe in dirt) it's nice to comment on
something that I feel about here after such a long absence.
by the way, for garden junkie down below........it might be peak
season over there in the UK where you're gardening, and your nurseries
aren't overstocked
with the seasonal schlock like we are here in the "colonies" but
honey, over here, we're saturated with excesses of commercialism to
the point of it sometimes
feeling like it defeats the reason for the gathering and celebrations.
And I'm not saying the religious aspect of it either. It's a time
when we have a good reason
to just be better than we have been to each other. not like we NEED a
reason......personally? I'm a gardener, so I do just fine by my
little corner of the world
in the things that I do daily. I compost, I don't mindlessly kill
insects unless it's absolutely necessary, I don't use hardly any
pesticide, (sometimes you HAVE to
use something for those damn ticks that drop outa the trees onto you!
and we won't start on the skeeters that eat me poor Englishman like
prime sirloin) I'm sure
if some of the better stocked nurseries in some area's were to be
scoured, you'd find garden things. I know there is an absolutely
incredible nursery over in Knoxville, Tennessee that has anything a
gardener would love to give someone else who gardens as really cool
gifts, but I can't quite get there at this time and I tend to agree
with the above comment. The local box stores aren't stocked with much
for us gardeners. Oh SURE there's the usual poinsettia's, non-hardy
evergreen trees and rosemary topiaries, and amaryllis by the pots
full, all waiting for some amateur gardener to get for Christmas to
try and get to live past the first week when they get it. I am
curious when they went ape over those puffed up electric displays?
I've seen houses around here that you can't see the house for the
inflated displays...........and one neighbor's window had their
Christmas tree up, lights on and shining like a beacon since three
weeks before turkey day.....I mean, sheesh!! we're just kvetching
about the general over kill of the season.
now before I get flamed for talking further, I will slip back behind
my holly and boxwood's. (the crape myrtle has lost all it's leaves
and I'm very conspicuous! At least
the boxwoods and Holly have foliage.....LOL) thanks Donna for the
endearment. I love you too honey. I will holler every now and then
when I see something worth spouting
about, and I'm sure there will be rambles as house plants and such
meander through my life where I am now. Good to be back after such a
long absence. g
maddie gardening in zone 7 (maybe even warmer?) and unknown Sunset
zone (gotta find my Sunset book first)