Page 13 | To go to a local garden centre?

Thetimehascomethewalrussaid · 2021-01-19T09:58:46+00:00

I feel like I might get flamed for this. I'm on maternity leave and obviously we're in full lockdown. Where I live is also currently in the throes of Storm Christoph and the rain outside is literally like the wrath of god - so no chance of a walk. My baby is teething and really grumpy and I'm going out of my mind being stuck in the same four walls all day every day. All baby classes have been cancelled, can't even go somewhere for a quick coffee to break up the day. My husband is at work (he's a teacher and over half of the school are in because the government have massively expanded the list of what constitutes a 'key worker' - so it's not really a lockdown, but that's another thread!) We have a support bubble because we have a child under 1 but they're also at work in the week (also teachers). Our local garden centre (2 min drive away) is open - would I be unreasonable to pack the baby in the car and go and have a look round there for an hour? Just to break up the day and regain a bit of sanity? Not an essential journey, but arguably important for mental health! My husband now has weekly COVID tests - he had one yesterday and it was negative so it's highly unlikely we have it! Feel like I'm going mad!

dingit · 19/01/2021 15:44

Big mistake asking on Mumsnet. They froth at the mouth if you dare to hang your washing out.
Go to the garden centre and enjoy. No one will drop dead because of you visit.
We went at the weekend as the sole had fallen off dhs walking boots. It was empty.

Or you can follow the advice of this charmer on my local Facebook page

Ch3rish · 19/01/2021 15:48

@howmanyroads

Don't buy any of this, especially not the update!

You're having a hard time believing that someone went to a garden centre?

What's wrong with you woman? How is that in any way hard to comprehend

GirlCrush · 19/01/2021 15:51

What ‘flowers’ did the kid smile at? Our garden centre is merely shrubs at this time of year, not exactly spring just yet

dingit · 19/01/2021 15:55

@GirlCrush

What ‘flowers’ did the kid smile at? Our garden centre is merely shrubs at this time of year, not exactly spring just yet

Erm, the entrance to ours is filled with artificial flowers. Makes me smile too

Rhiannon13 · 19/01/2021 15:55

Why would anyone - unless shielding - choose never to go outside to places that are open if they can?

They don't choose to NEVER go out, they just choose to only go out to buy essentials. Because we're in the middle of a pandemic and what we 'want' as individuals is not important right now.

My DM spent a few years working in intensive care, so perhaps she is more aware than others of the reality of the situation?

Ch3rish · 19/01/2021 15:57

@dayswithaY

What would be an essential item from a garden centre? Just curious really, I mean no one really needs potting compost or scented candles and you can buy pet food at supermarkets.

The OP hasn't said where she is so let's assume England as that'll be where the majority of posters are

Here's the guidance @dayswithaY

www.gov.uk/guidance/national-lockdown-stay-at-home

Where does it say that there is such a thing as an essential item? I've used the search facility and it's not finding it.

Whether anyone agrees or not the list of retail that can open is clearly set out but nowhere is there any restriction on what those shops can sell or what anyone can buy.

Dowser · 19/01/2021 15:59

[quote thosetalesofunexpected]@Thetimehascomethewalrussaid

I totally get understand how you are feeling all too well !

There is a real good reason why Garden centres are still open, Uk Gov encourages/supports these garden centres in this way..

Its obviously Cause Gardening is a activities done mostly outside,and even in garden centres at least some of the garden centre will certainly be outdoors !

I say take Advantage of this very Local garden centre being still open and support them by visiting them !
You will feel so much better doing this !

I know a few people who have sadly unfornately who have committed sucides Cause they have been stuck indoors all the time since March last year !

Their mental emotional health feeling trapped Claustropic all the time took its toil on them,sorry to say ...😢

I know its shit situation for most people at the moment...[/quote]
We don’t even know the tip of the iceberg of deaths of people who just couldn’t hang on any longer.
That’s why I always support anyone on here who for the sake of their sanity
Either a goes out
B goes to see a friend
C goes to shop/ garden centre/ wherever

I the grand scheme of things
I honestly don’t think sacrificing your own mental health for the sake of possibly not infecting someone should even come into it

It’s like comparing apples with pears surely?

Dowser · 19/01/2021 16:01

@Rhiannon13

Why would anyone - unless shielding - choose never to go outside to places that are open if they can?

They don't choose to NEVER go out, they just choose to only go out to buy essentials. Because we're in the middle of a pandemic and what we 'want' as individuals is not important right now.

My DM spent a few years working in intensive care, so perhaps she is more aware than others of the reality of the situation?

My dil is an icu nurse. She still goes out. I hate the way mental health , especially after 10 months of living this way , is not considered important.

There’s too much guilt tripping.
Every life is important.

More people catch covid in care homes and hospitals than anywhere else.
I’m not visiting those places

Vintagevixen · 19/01/2021 16:09

@Dowser with your DIL on that. I'm also an ICU nurse and I'm going out.

dingit · 19/01/2021 16:13

Thank god for posters like Dowser. I really need to stay away from these frankly fucking batshit threads

CleverCatty · 19/01/2021 16:19

@dingit

Thank god for posters like Dowser. I really need to stay away from these frankly fucking batshit threads

So all the people who are traipsing around garden centres (yes I've seen them) appear to be mum, dad, two kids, sometimes other assorted adults?! LOL

Icanseegreenshoots · 19/01/2021 16:22

Thank you dowser the voice of reason.

ScrumpyBetty · 19/01/2021 16:23

Cheers @Dowser
Spot on!!

katy1213 · 19/01/2021 16:25

Of course you can - they're open - but you should buy something, they're a business not an entertainment.

soundofsilence1 · 19/01/2021 16:27

I imagine less than 5% of the visits to garden centres are 'essential'. There can't be very many people visiting them for grow your own supplies in January and diy bits are generally minimal can be bought via click and collect. If all the non essential visits stopped it probably would not be worth them staying open.

sweeneytoddsrazor · 19/01/2021 16:43

Even if you are buying non essentials you should not be treating a shopping trip as a family day out. All shops whether you deem them as essential or not have a limit with regards to the numbers allowed in, so a family of 4 having a browse around for an hour then buying a nice little pot plant is not going to help whereas 4 different customers in an hour buying a pot plant might help significantly more. This is more what people need to be thinking about rather than the black and white should I go or not. Yes I get all the MH arguments but shops are not family days out.

thosetalesofunexpected · 19/01/2021 17:18

@Thetimehascomethewalrussaid

I also say ignore Hysterical Posters

Who say /think You that everybody should be banned from going to Garden centres Cause of Covid 19

There is a real Valid reason why a lot of peoples struggling with mental/emotional health issues Since Lockdowns have started/ongoing situation!

Lockdowns envoriment is similar to a Prison/under house Arrest envoriment !

Such as in a Prison envoriment you are often/usually not allowed to have any visitors even family visit you have the Permission of the Prison Authorities !

Lockdowns/Prison envoriment you are often isolated either on your own/ or sharing a space within a confined envorimental for e.g a pressure cooker envoriment to have family arguments can over seemly trivial things(which part of bigger issues already were there before Covid 19 enhanced them),or trivial things can get under your skin,blown out of perspective !

Lockdowns/Prisons are/can be Claustropic feeling so enhances the feeling of being trapped /Cabin fever feeling..

Lockdowns/Prisons being cut off isolated from Nature affects us as people as we are part of Nature ,think of it we come into the world cause of Natural basic instinct reproduction !
At times it may seem we have become estranged/divorced from Nature look at the envoriment issues plastic Rubbish Pollution etc

Also Lockdowns/Prisons/under house arrests there are Curfews time restraints/No Autonomy so feeling out of Control enhances

Throw into the equation of the economic uncertainty such as Some Business established some time ago hitting the walls, some people uncertain if they will still have Jobs and how Covid 19 has changed (shifted the Jobs landscape in seismic way

High Tax worries !
Also worry of uncertainy of Covid times of how much Taxes are we going to end up having to pay back to improve the economics of the uk, cause of Furlough/the demands /pressures on NHS etc,?

I know nearly everywhere I go I see NHS rainbow signs on windows but
There is No endless Pots of Gold at the ends of the Rainbow, unlike Judy Garlands Character from children's family Wizard of OzOz

Also with throw in to Covid Times uncertainty of lack of Jobs or having one etc,
Knock on Dominoes effect
Reflects sign of Times are the rise of Food Banks/reliance on Welfare State Benefits System

So Any Posters who Dismiss /think Mental Health /Emotional Health Downplays This kind of Feeling as being a case of Just having a odd off day or a Case of Temper Tantrum of not having your Own way !

Is Clearly talking Through their Back side really !

VinylDetective · 19/01/2021 17:22

@GirlCrush

What ‘flowers’ did the kid smile at? Our garden centre is merely shrubs at this time of year, not exactly spring just yet

Our supermarket has lots of pots full of daffodils, hyacinths, primroses and snowdrops. It’s not beyond the bounds of possibility that a garden centre also has them.

shinynewapple2021 · 19/01/2021 17:32

TBF if you have run out of pet food but don't need anything else from a supermarket you are probably safer to go either to a garden centre which stocks or to a pet store as there are likely to be less busy .

Peanutquavers123 · 19/01/2021 17:54

Just a quick point for everyone stating garden centres are essential to food production - do you all really think that farmers are popping to their local garden centre for a trowel?! They’ll use different suppliers, they won’t go buy their seed potatoes from there 😂

For anyone else, food production in England is a hobby. A lovely one at that, but still just a hobby. It’s about as essential as knitting.

Sparklingbrook · 19/01/2021 18:11