This weathered garden trug has been with me 24 years. I remember this because my oldest daughter was two when I loaded her up and went to go find a greenhouse tucked out on a gravel road, that long ago.
We wandered around hoop houses of plants for as long as possible that day. Near the entrance of each hoop house were stacks of these wooden trugs for shoppers to carry their selections. They were all grey and weathered and I loved them. I picked out that day, three scented geraniums, because you see –I had read about them in a garden magazine and needed to have scented geraniums…really needed them.
When we carried our plants to the check– out in one of the beautifully aged trugs, I inquired if I might be able to buy the garden trug. I was so happy when the owner said “yes”, but my heart dropped when she went over to a small pile of new trugs.
She explained that her grandfather made the trugs for the greenhouse.
Now, I was interested in the story of how Grandpa made the trugs from Cedar scraps, and carefully screwed them together (because nails would allow the wood to twist), but I didn’t want a “new” trug. I wanted the weathered, silver grey. Though I tried, she insisted I leave with a “new” trug, and said “you just use it and it will weather just like you want it too.”
I remember so many things about that day, I spent a little over $28.00 for a “new” garden trug and three plants…there was no extra money in the checkbook for this luxury…I felt guilty every time I looked at my new treasures.
Through countless moves, this wood garden trug has survived. It has hauled plants from the garden center, held all my garden tools, even decorated my table in Spring with rabbits and eggs.
It has aged quite nicely.