You absolutely loved the dowager countess’ comment to her granddaughter Edith disparaging gardeners on Sunday’s “Downton Abbey.”
Edith (recently left at the altar and nearing “spinsterhood,” at least her in estimation) needs a hobby and suggests perhaps gardening.
“Well no, you can’t be as desperate as that,” Lady Violet says.
If you’re not a “Downton Abbey” fan (or if you call it “Downtown Abbey”) you might miss the divine pleasure in that statement. The dowdy, quick-witted dowager countess (I call her that because I love the word dowager) is always quick to pass judgment and I can think of nothing finer than for her to mock my passion. Trust me, this kind of nasty comment from Violet is to be considered an honor.
Another way you know you’re a gardener is when you get a rather utilitarian weapon-looking thing in the middle of January on the coldest day of the year (high of 2 degrees) for a birthday present and you have to contain yourself from running outside to see you could plunge it in the frozen earth.
I give you the Professional Gardener’s Digging Tool. This thing is a beast. I read about it (as is the case with many of my favorite gardening products) on North Coast Gardening and I dropped a hint about it way back in October. This is the (only?) benefit of a January birthday: if you didn’t get it for Christmas you can still hold out hope that you might get it for your birthday.
This thing is like a hori hori on steroids. With a testosterone booster. It’s insane and I love it. I found it hysterical that my main concern is cutting off my own hand but there is a sticker on it warning me to avoid underground power lines. You gotta love a tool that warns you of the potential to electrocute yourself.
And best of all, it has a red handle, greatly reducing the chances of losing it in the garden, which happens all the time with my wooden-handled hori hori.
Now all we need is for that spring thaw. It is 14 degrees out there today; a sure sign that spring is on the way in Wisconsin.
6 Responses
Love your tool! I use a little black handled knife in the yard and it so useful, but as I was going through the yard holding it, pulling a tarp and trying not to stab myself, I thought there has to be a better way. My mother would have been horrified! I was thinking about how my knife handle should be red…hmmm This is going on my wish list.
Love your tool!! Yeah, I have a little black handled knife I use in the yard sometimes, and yes, cutting off my hand was worrying me today. And I wished the handle was red! Thanks for something to add to my Christmas wish list.
When I heard the Dowagers comment, I thought all those Garden Club ladies of the 50's & 60's must have been frowned upon by the upper classes in Britain. So funny. I love her!!!
You know we're in the same boat as far as gardening tools – I asked for (and received) a great set of secaturs from my son this Christmas!!
Ontario isn't much warmer – although they are promising balmy temperatures this weekend with highs around 20. We'll have to stay warm by diving into the seed catalogues and dreaming of gardens to come.
I love Downton Abbey and took offense to the Dowager's comments! ;o) We don't have either tool, thanks for the info, will investigate. I love yard tools!
Spring, indeed. ROFLMBO!!!
i need one of those things. any tool that includes the word HO (twice) is for me. birthday is in May. it's on my list.
😉