It was worth cycling!

Tweet

Most of the time these days it’s me that does the grocery shopping. And if I need to stock up on lots of heavy things it makes sense to take the car and buy in bulk. But if we just need a smaller amount for the next few meals then I try to use my bicycle. It’s only about two miles each way so cycling only takes about ten minutes longer overall, and of course it’s better for me and the environment and cheaper too (and on a nice day, it’s just a pleasant thing to do!) So a couple of days ago I got on my bike to go to the supermarket. It was a nice enough day, cool and a bit breezy but dry, and I managed to find everything I needed. I packed it carefully in my two baskets, and set off home. When I was almost back I was just cycling (slowly) up a nearby street which is a bit of an uphill slope. About half-way up, a woman I know a little (Thelma) was outside tending her front garden, and as I approached she called out ‘That looks like hard work!’ so of course I slowed down to reply – and then I kind of ground to a halt so I stopped to chat. Her garden always looks lovely so we were talking about that and she complained her Japanese anemones were spreading too much and she needed to dig a lot of them out. Well, funnily enough when my friend and I visited an open garden a couple of weeks ago we were admiring the Japanese anemones flowering there, and she asked me whether I had any in my garden as hers had disappeared. But unfortunately the few that were here when we moved in have also vanished! So when Thelma mentioned she was disposing of some of hers of course my ears pricked up and I said that if she had some she didn’t want, I would be happy to take them and could pass some on to my friend as well. She said I was welcome to some, so I arranged to come back later after I had put the shopping away. An hour or so later I popped back and Thelma gave me a few rooted bits of the anemones she had dug out. But apart from that she also gave me a tour of her lovely garden and passed on some other excess plants as well, including some lovely yellow irises plus a few other bits of shrubs that might make cuttings. Glad I decided to cycle. If I had driven to the supermarket I would have missed out on all the benefits of cycling as well as the chance to strengthen a friendly connection and the gift of some lovely plants! All rights reserved. © Text and image copyright Fleur 2024.