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| An ornament in the shop (photo by Anna) |
Like pubs, Garden Centres are a staple of British culture. Think Dixieline or Nurseryland in the US, but more family friendly. First, you must traverse an enormous store full of nice quality toys, books, gourmet housewares, and home and garden decor to get to the flowers and plants. I like valid excuses to shop, and I'm guessing that their prime target markets are not just gardening-types but also grandparents, moms of young kids, and self-identified "homemakers". Garden Centres usually have a large coffee shop with lunch items, tea time snacks, kids' meals. There might also be a kids' playground in back or animals roaming around. Whereas American children are begrudgingly dragged to Dixieline on a Saturday morning, English parents and grandparents take their young ones to Gordale just for fun (and maybe get that grass seed or potting soil on the side). Oh, and there is a big adjacent parking lot out in front, undeniably another value in a country where parking is at a premium.
Anna, Grandma and I went to Gordale together yesterday. The three of us had such a nice time browsing in the store, and looking at the flowers and displays.
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A peacock!
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I like how someone at Gordale has thought about how to make the nursery itself visually interesting. It is not Dixieline. Among the flowers and plants are a lot of animal statues and ornaments to spot. Occasionally, signs ask people to smell certain flowers as if to say don't forget, this is a leisurely outing!
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| Gardenias that say "Please smell" |
One benefit of living in a rainy country is that even a little gardening can yield a big payoff. So gardening is a big deal. On my parents' recent visit, my Dad marveled that no one irrigates regularly here. That was something that I struggled to comprehend too, as sprinklers and garden hoses and setting timers are just a fact of life in Southern California. Also, the terms "frontyard" and "backyard" are not part of the vernacular; instead, people have a "frontgarden" or "backgarden", which captures the smaller size and assumption that yes, there will be flowers. Flowers are also more noticeable in a smaller space, so why not plant them? As a parallel, I often buy indoor flowers here because you really see and can appreciate them when you walk into a room. In our open-plan American house, flowers can get a bit lost.
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| A little San Diego on the Wirral |
Speaking of America, I like how Gordale has a warm indoor room with plants that look distinctively San Diegan-- bougainvillea, gardenias, hibiscus, cacti of every description... I imagine these survive as greenhouse or indoor plants here. John's mom said that when she first flew into San Diego to visit my parents, she thought she "landed in Gordale!"
After our leisurely shop around (which included me trying on some quilted jackets), we went to the cafe for tea and cake. We left tired but happy, and with a box of grass seed for Grandpa.
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Little animal ornaments to entertain the kids
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