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Posted by Trish Brown on July 16, 2008, 4:42 am
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>> Geez, Otterbot, did you have a punnet of Bunnings seedlings die on you or
>> something? You sure don't like 'em! ;-D
>
> ha! that must have sounded rantier than i intended, because i do go into
> bunnings from time to time!
>
> but having said that, no, i don't like them, & you'll find many people
> don't, so i'm not some sort of freak or anything <g>. if they stuck to
> selling hardware & tools & big garden things, and without a neurotic
> commitment to "underselling" everything on earth to rout their less-funded
> competition & persuade people who aren't very bright into leaving with bags
> of stuff they never even wanted, i wouldn't have a problem (in fact, i still
> recall my first trip to the first big hardware i ever went into - which was
> home hardware btw - what a wonderland! i had to be dragged out bodily!!) but
> i dislike any organisation which is only all about product creep (WHY
> exactly do they have coffee shops, craft aisles and so forth?), flogging
> crap you didn't come for (bunnings are big indulgers in "would you like
> fries with that?", and, as alluded to, people who become unemployed because
> they lost their business to undercutters have only the satisfaction of
> buying garden forks for less-than-wholesale at bunnings to ease their pain.
>
>> By all means, go ahead and choke Bunnings out of the marketplace by
>> purchasing your forks for $5! Until you succeed, however, I'll be a happy
>> customer and purchase mine for $39. The one I've got seems to be quite
>> stout and it'll be a while till I need to replace it.
>>
>> Just for my info, where *does* one get a good second-hand garden fork?
>> I've never seen one! The only ones I've seen second-hand have had bent
>> tines or needed their handles replacing (these can be had from Bunnings
>> for a few dollars...)
>
> many places. most people probably start out in the second-hand-way-of-life
> <g> via garage sales, land clearance sales, trash & treasure markets, op
> shops, finding stuff on the street (still my favourite method, i must
> admit - the price is absolutely right ;-) but once you start looking you
> discover the second-hand builders' supplies yards & warehouses and general
> household warehouses. we get this sort of thing in canberra so i can't
> comment about newcastle, however since canberra has at least 3 huge general
> household/building ones, at least two for building supplies only, etc etc,
> you must have something there & if you find a good one you won't be sorry.
> we know many people now who will offer us stuff, (which is probably taking
> the whole thing a bit far - sometimes i wonder if i am perceived as a
> second-hand industry all on my own!!!) there is the trading post, local
> newspapers, and these days things like freecycle and e-bay. an increasing
> number of municipal tips will either allow you a discreet bit of foraging or
> (more commonly now) they sell all the good stuff seperately nearby -
> sometimes only the really good things, antiques & whatnot, but oftimes
> anything that's perfectly good but was taken to the tip by someone lacking
> care & imagination. there is a whole massive second-hand economy that you
> just tap into & it's all there somewhere.
>
>> I don't quite get your point in this discussion. You seem to be offended
>> by my shopping at a chain store. If I'm satisfied by my purchases, then -
>> erm - what are you trying to get across?
>
> well, as i said - that implication that bunnings is performing some sort of
> public service more holy than st vincent's, and that every other outlet is,
> by implication, robbing innocent customers and rubbing their hands with glee
> whilst at it. it simply is not this way at all.
>
> first world people (or "consumers" as you called us) have a MASSIVE
> multi-faceted and increasing problem that stems from overconsumption.
> bunnings (amonst others, obviously!) actively participates in and
> facilitates peoples' overconsumption in a particular way, and that is
> ethically wrong. so i said so.
>
> really, it's 2008 & this is all a common public debate now. i'm kind of
> surprised you are even asking me. the same ethical questions lurk around
> woolies, coles, mcdonalds, and so forth. it's not a question of "chain
> stores" - i'm on the record as loving spotlight, for example. but i think
> one thing (of many) that home gardening (esp food) does for you is to throw
> a light on ethical production and gets a person thinking about wider related
> issues. it's related to, for example (back on-topic) "ownership" of f1
> hybrid seeds or g.m. terminator technology, and so forth; and how some
> people allow themselves to become disempowered to the point where
> corporations & the state literally run their lives for them. it's a very big
> topic & this post is long enough as it is!!! (sorry about that). i didn't
> mean to appear to be having a go, what i was doing is asking the question.
> you have to answer the question for yourself like everyone does. (now that
> the question is hopefully clearer! :-)
>
> i'm glad you're enjoying starting up your veggie garden which i think is
> marvellous - like i said i'd be surprised if it does not lead to bigger and
> better things & a slightly different way of thinking - it does in most
> people. veggie gardening has the power to change everyone's life for the
> better. (really!!)
> kylie
>
>
A hearty ROTFLMAO from me, Otterbot! I hope you won't be offended if I
say you're preaching to the converted? I was converted about thirty
years ago when I studied Landscape/Amtosphere systems and learned about
energy transfer. Like you, I tend to get pretty ranty about it and like
you I am the Queen of the Second-Hand Shops and Council Pickup Day.
Sadly, I have never ever seen a decent garden fork for sale in such a
place, but there's always a first time. You'll hear me cheering when I
find one!
Yes, I do take your point about Bunnings, but (and I say this in all
sincerity) they are just small fry compared to the biggies like Coles
Myers and Woolworths. I mean, people only spend a percentage of their
incomes at places like Bunnings or Home Hardware or even Spotlight, but
everyone has to eat and everyone, like it or not, has to spend their
grocery dollar at supermarkets because that's all there is.
Now, before you start telling me about local growers' markets and
independent butchers etc: I KNOW. I also know about excessive
consumerism and overservicing and energy wastage. I have extremely
strong feelings about the bastardisation of our economy by petro-dollars
and competition from US growers who've been heavily subsidised by a
powerful government.
Those opinions don't belong here, though.
Someone complained about Bunnings and I simply replied that I was
satisfied with my purchases and their service. I dunno about your local
Bunnings, but ours is just a big hardware warehouse with a nursery
section. I don't know what you mean about craft aisles and coffee shops.
Again, if you want to complain about overservicing and undercutting,
then look at the supermarkets before you have a shot at Bunnings!
Don't get me wrong. I'm not defending the overconsumption/overmarketing
stance, just saying that Bunnings is simply filling a niche in the
marketplace (like everybody) and that it's much 'cleaner' than the
supermarkets to whom we look for our daily bread (which is white and
overprocessed and square usually far too sweet - because the supermarket
Said So).
Getting back toward the topic, though, can you tell me when it's time to
plant celery? I made a massive batch of celery soup last week and I'm
thinking I can't wait until I can make it from my own home-grown celery!
--
Trish Newcastle, NSW, Australia
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