It's Grinch Weekend at Johnson's.

Hello again!

Dad always said it cost very little to go first class. Well, Dad would’ve never considered flying first class I'm sure. The point he was trying to make was that buying something of quality is worth the extra investment. Maybe it’s a tool for the kitchen, garage or garden shed. When the materials are of higher quality, they last longer, are more enjoyable to use and one takes pride and care in using an item of quality. Maybe more than anything else, these items are generational. Many people have something from a parent or grandparent that they still use regularly today.

Who has a watch from a family member that was used to tell time years ago? Who remembers the old Speidel watch bands? Or that pocket knife with its blade that is curved from so many sharpenings? My favorite garden tool from over 30 years ago is my pair of Swiss-made Felco pruners. While costing almost what a nice meal out would be, I guarantee you that these will be the last pair of pruners I will ever purchase. Any gardener would cherish these for decades.

I hope you will consider a generational gift this Christmas season. Maybe begin a tradition at your home with a starter Fontanini nativity set. Almost indestructible, it’s a great way to tell the Christmas story, especially to children. Make a tradition to add to your set every year with new pieces.

For some reason, Christmas cacti have become generational. Every year I hear stories of families with Grandma’s Christmas Cacti that bloom every Holiday season! We have an abundance of gift-worthy Christmas plants right now, including Christmas cacti, amaryllis, poinsettia, paperwhites, cyclamen, Norfolk pine, wintergreen and more.

Having a similar conversation recently, I was told about a small oak sapling that was planted decades ago by a parent. The tree is providing shade and cooling at the same home today. I enjoy driving by landscape jobs that I worked on years ago and find pride and satisfaction seeing the trees doing what they were intended to do so long ago. Why not give a Johnson’s Garden Center gift card for a tree of choice to be planted to provide memories for years to come. In comparison, it has to be a pretty nice tie to still be around in 30 years!!

Your friend in the garden,

Marty Johnson
Owner - Johnson's Garden Center