We strongly encourage you to take a vacation day and join us. Weekdays at these nurseries are much less chaotic than weekends, and you don't have to wait in long line-ups to pay for your purchases.
1. The cost of the tour does not include purchases made at any of the venues nor does it include lunch.
2. Please bring the following items with you (just in case): bottled water (there's a washroom on the bus), bug spray (if it's humid we'll probably encounter mosquitos, especially at Baldwin's), suntan lotion, wet wipes, light hooded jacket or hooded sweater (in the event of rain) or clear plastic rain poncho from the Dollar Store. These items can be left on board the bus if you don't need them.
3. I am going to provide you with approximately 12 stickers that will have your name clearly printed which can be attached to your purchases when they are stowed underneath the bus. Many of the centers use the same grey plastic bags and it tends to be confusing when we return to Dartmouth and try to figure out which bags belong to which people. It's all fun and games until someone loses an eye.
4. We are going to try to stick to the agenda as closely as we can, so please try to be back at the bus at the required departure times. We've never had to leave someone behind yet, but you don't want to be the first!
5. It might be a good idea to have some cash in your wallet. Not all vendors take debit cards. And I'm not lending you any money.
6. The bus has a storage compartment underneath the body where we can store our plants and vegetables and baked goods and containers and trees and shrubs and any travellers who misbehave. Everything will be safe there.
7. There will be a minimal amount of walking at the nurseries; however, we will be doing a lot of scurrying from place to place, so be sure to wear comfortable, non-skid walking shoes or sandals. Try to choose pretty ones. Ugly shoes can sometimes offend me.
8. Keep in mind that this is a long, busy day, so pace yourself and don't overdo it. I have no intention of giving you mouth-to-mouth resuscitation.
9. Gaggles are fun. Invite someone you normally shop with to join us. Remember, it's not a garden tour ... it's a shopping trip.
10. Please bring your camera so that you can take lots of photos of our Gaggle having fun. We'll share the photos later!
11. If you could stuff a couple of Sobeys bags in your purse, it would be appreciated. We might need them for plants or pukers.
12. There will be no refunds once you have paid your registration fee, so it might be a good idea to have a friend on standby to join the Gaggle in your place (just in case you get sick the day of the tour).
13. The actual agenda might change slightly by the time we actually leave. Sometimes garden centers close early, or they don't have enough staff mid-week, or they've heard about us and don't want us to come visit them.
14. Fingers crossed—if you are well-behaved, I might consider planning the Gaggle trip next year!
Debbie
