The routine goes something like this (and will tell you lots about the store, so bear with me)... My husband needs new plants for the yard. We go to City People's. We walk around the nursery outside, sometimes with our puppies in tow. I exclaim at prices* as he loads up the wagon and the puppies greet strangers (when they're along for the ride). I get cold/bored/indecisive and I head inside.
On the way, I pick up vegetable and herb starters, and then put them back down because I remember I'm no good at growing vegetables and these are too delicate and expensive to lose. I look at houseplants and garden art and exclaim at prices. I pick out a pretty new pot, and then head inside.
I examine the shelves full of fertilizer and wonder if there's anything we're almost out of. Then, I look at their twenty different styles of birdhouses because I know I will one day get one for my in-laws. I try out different gardening tools and toys because I know they're also good gifts.
I hurry past the seeds because, again, I'm not good at that kind of thing, and I jump when I notice there's a cat asleep on the table right next to me. In the back corner, I poke and pinch their huge selection of succulents and cacti and pick out a new one for the office. Back outside for another pot. I peek into the nursery to make sure my husband's still browsing.
Then, I look at cards, journals, wrapping paper, books, candles, lotions, pillows, bookshelves, and stools. My husband comes inside to pay for his plants. I ask him if he saw the outrageously priced, but nice, statue/arbor/bench/etc in the covered outdoor area, and then drag him around the entire store to point out all the cute things I've found. At the cash register, I find some cute jewelry or candy or small toy and add it to the pile of loot at the last-minute. Everyone is happy.
* The prices for plants (and many other items) are high, but the plants are healthy and tend to survive when plants from the big garden stores don't.
more