Mid-Atlantic Gardening: THINKING OUTSIDE THE BOX, 1 by Gitagal

Gitagal wrote:
Merry--

Thanks for all your compliments. You are too kind! But--I appreciate it....

Come mid-April, I will, again, be doing my weekly Informational Clinics in Outside garden.
This will be year #4.
Not sure how long you have been following the MAF--but I do these totally on my own.
The last year--I changed where they schedule me--with Mrs.'s approval (Why not?) so
I was actually scheduled to work on Sundays. The first 2 years i would come in on my day off
(on the clock, of course) to hold these clinics from 9AM-11AM. Then go home.
Made a lot more sense to just be scheduled all day in Garden, have my table all set up, etc...
I just hang around, answer questions, help customers, drive sales--- and all that.

Even though I carefully select a topic for each week, which is posted on MY BIG, colorful, sign
by the front entrance, not too many people pay any attention to the topics. I try to set up my table with
the topic in mind--even hang signs from my table stating what the topic is--most people just pass by.

Once in a while--I "get" someone interested.....and then I have him or her captive audience.
Once you start talking to customers--they relax--as I am NOT there to (blatantly) push sales,
but I do if I can steer them, say, to the proper bagged soil for what they are doing--tools?

Yes! It will cost a bit more (of course)--but it is the best one to use. For example---
Many people mistake the el cheapo "Top Soil" for a rich, garden soil. If i see a customer going
towards the check out, with a bunch of pottted annuals or such, and about 4 bags of "Top Soil"--
I stop them and ask what they are planning to do with it? If they say it is for their lawn--I let them pass (....:o) )-
IF they say they are going to plant their flowers in it--I say "NO!"...Here's what you need for that--
and they go home with the "MG Garden Soil" or the "Organic Choice" soil instead.
Then--I migt suggest they need to mulch things--(kaching!) or get something like "Starter fertilizer" for their
new plants...and so it goes to sell "add ons"....Mission accomplished.

Where does the "Outside the Box" come in--you may ask????
It is in my diverse, accumulated knowledge about gardening--much of which is NOT written
in any books, that I pass on.. I also share my own experiences--which makes me VERY human in their eyes.
The most common reply I get is: "I DIDN'T KNOW THAT!!!"

I enjoy these Sundays--because if I can educate a non-gardener to start becoming one--
I am very happy--and my presence out there is justified.

I know our store will be loosing Donn (our SM) soon. They like to shift managers and Supervisors around.
Seems to be the stepping stones to higher positions. A Supervisor has to first be a Supervisor
of THREE different Departments before they can even be considered to become an Assistant Mgr.

WHEN we get another new manager for our store (who would be my 9th in the 13 yrs. I have been there
--you get used to it...), I will simply tell him that this is what I do on Sundays. That won't cause any issues--
as our Regional Manager already knows I do this and, wholeheartedly approves of it.
Donn being transferred will be hard. for me--as I have been growing and sharing plants and veggies
for him now for THREE years. We have a, sort of, bond.....I have never seen his garden--as there would
be an ethical issue if I went there. Besides--he lives an hour's drive away from here.

His mind is SO busy 24 hrs a day, that he seldom remembers what I tell him, what the name of anything is,
what's an annual, a perennial--or such. but he loves everything and keeps thanking me.
EVERYTHING I have given him has been accompanied with a color photo of that plant and my hand-written
directions how to grow it. He has been telling me for over a month that his brother will be making a CD
of his house--inside and out--and all the things in his garden--sio i can see what everything looks like.
I will soon be getting a copy of that CD to keep and to cherish.
It will be my memory of HIM--and to him--it will be a memory of ME.

I am also working on making him a small photo album where ALL the photos I have given to him
will be put in. Photo on one side of the page--direction on the other side.
Been trying, from memory, to type up the directions--but I have reached a dead end.
Been asking him to bring me in all the photos so i can finish this project.
He keeps forgetting! Even sent him an e-mail....still no pictures....I won't bug him any more..
He will have to remember on his own.....

He is such a doll!!!! When he leaves--we will all go into mourning--and many of us will cry.
Especially me!

Thank you for allowing me to share some of this stuff--"Outside the Box" of who I appear to be......

Most of us just love him to death! He has done wonders for our store. He is caring and approachable.
He is 43--younger than my kids.....and, forever single! Seems only one of his 5 siblings is married.
They must all be married to their careers----Type "A"'s and overly committed to have any other life.

Here he is! This was taken at our Christmas Party in December just now.

Gita

edited to add some info.


This message was edited Jan 10, 2011 3:21 PM