Wednesday, November 25, 2009

(Stupid post) Garden Lusts: Practical Version

(I am on holiday and as the family and I do Thanksgiving/Christmas wrapped all together, the subject matter is a little focused on gift-age here)

Pardon this bit of drivel, but I figured I can inspire some people's holiday gift lists.  I know I don't NEED any of these things, make do with what I got, but damn, some of these things are pieces of art and not just tools!

Darn, darn the odd blog that injects some sort of wonderful garden item into my mind that I think:

"Oooh. And it's useful too. So, it's not just an expensive garden item/tool. It's PRACTICAL."

And that is the magic word: practical

It seems LESS irrational to want to spend $130-145 on a watering can if it will last you all your life:
Haw's watering cans (look at that handle! and the removeable rose! ).  I feel like some men who adore cars about this watering can!

This is what mine looks like now: :(



or howabout this, $65 on pruners (because the blades can be resharpened! All of the other moving parts are SOLID)

And finally, I have recently encountered this site:
http://www.gardengiftsdirect.co.uk/

And did another, "OOH!"

and then "NO!!!!!!" Darn you British and your garden loving far away-ness!

and now all I can think is, "THANK GOODNESS."

and pretend I didn't see that and glad I'm too cheap to pay for shipping and not go broke on garden lusts, no matter how practical.

4 comments:

Jacob Royer said...

I must say, that's a nice looking can but it will probably last you all of seven years tops before needing to be replaced unless you take immaculate care of it. I wouldn't and I'm sure of that. I end up using any old glass or bowl or odd wine bottle (don't ask) and they never seem to wear out. Well, at least not from the watering.

janie said...

I also would not take immaculate care of it, no matter how I love it. I can't see the picture, by the way, I wonder why that is.....

Anyway, I have found that a good pair of pruning shears is a necessity, but I don't pay $65.00 a pair. I would lose them, that is for sure. I have to have many pair of pruning shears, so it isn't practical to pay a lot for them. Also, if I don't spend all my money on something that I will misplace, then I can have other things, like the Cobra weeder, or the adjustable leaf rake, or the Winged Weeder hoe! I love these things, I have to have them! And I can buy all three of them for less than the $130/00 for that watering can.

And yes, I use buckets, old watering cans, and detergent bottles with holes drilled in the top, to make watering easy here.

persephone said...

@jacob: I agree for the most part about the odd object for use for watering. I have a million old surplus vinegar bottles and enviro-friendly laundry bottles lying around that I keep pre-filled with rainwater here, but I do love my old watering can with a sprinkle-rose or a good pointed spout for precision. Mass waterings with my random bottles are great, but I don't get this idiotic *teehee!* feeling when watering with those :)

@Janie: Argh, the Felco pruners I have were left out for 2 days on the lawn and yep, rusted a bit. I can re-sharpen and oil them up, but it's a real pain. I kick myself about it all the time... I'm not much of an tool person when it comes to the garden... a trowel, shovel and my pruners is usually when I used 98% of the time and I would like a nice long handled 3 forked weeder, but do fine without for now! I have my cobra hand weeder... but sadly haven't used it much. I am a terrible gardener!

Ginger said...

I love my $20 Fiskars pruners, and I don't have a fancy watering can. BUT I have a $150+ rain barrel, because it was prettier than anything we could make ourselves. I don't think it's bad to splurge on a couple of really great garden accoutrements...gardening is not a bad vice! I spent $100+ on my husband's birthday dinner last year, and while I would do it again, your fancy watering can is going to last a lot longer than that dinner!