Somebody tell me why!!

A garden center a little drive away from here is a great place to go on a very wet cold weekend day. We were looking for some nice pots for our bulbs which, as I wrote about yesterday, we found and at a good price too. We also had a lovely biscuit and coffee in their very large coffee shop, which was naughty but warming and gave us both the courage and caffeine buzz needed to go to the lottie.

Now I don't mind a garden center having a cafe, in fact 2 we would go to regularly have very good cafes with Taste of Ulster awards and everything. But something else about these places really gets up my nose and last Saturday it had me in a bit of a fluster...

Christmas.

Christmas, at the one we visited (not Sunnybank), had arrived in all it's terrible gaudy style. Dear god, what does Christmas and all the tat that goes with it have to do with gardening?? Really I ask you, apart from a real pine tree why would a garden center need to be the hub of all things Christmas in the universe?

I give you some evidence...See if you can spot anything remotely to do with plants and the caring of them in these photos. Really, a prize for anyone who can. I took twice as many as this but even looking at them makes me want to boke.

Entering into the Christmas lighting section; the overpowering smell of cinnamon


Yes a troupe of dancing, singing Santas and Christmas dinner for sale on the cafe

Maybe I'm a little biased as I don't really like the whole Christmas 'thing'. It all starts far to early and by the time the actual celebratory days arrive I'm generally completely over the whole thing. I'm also a born worrier and Christmas present buying stresses me out almost as much as receiving presents myself, what if I can't find the perfect gift for my loved ones and what if I don't like the gift they've got me! It's a mine field. Which quite frankly I do not need to face in November in one of the places we retreat to when stressed already!

So..

Dear Santa,

I would like to have a nice Christmas; please stop the commercialism from eating away at my soul.

Love, Carrie

P.S. I have been a very good girl this year x