Tuesday 21 April 2015

DOG FRIENDLY POTTING SHED MONMOUTH

I was in the enviable position today to talk with one of THE loveliest of guys that I know locally, and last Summer, he asked if The Potting Shed would 'entertain' a group of Sausage Dog Walkers, who like to collectively walk their Sausage Dogs, and then spend Quality Time togevver having Cream Teas afterwards just 'SOMEWHERE LOVELY'?
Last year, they were SUCH a joy, and to see so many lovely, happy dogs together with their 'Well Behaved Owners', was really, truly, a joy to both Paul and I.

And THIS year, their numbers have rather 'swelled', he says, with many, many MORE Sausage Dogs? and he told me why, but I'm not here to talk about that aspect, just that I assured him that his Party are more than welcome at The Potting Shed, and YES....... The Dogs ARE going to bark rather a lot..... but that's NOT going to be a problem for us, because we'll just wear dead-funky 'Ear Defenders' or something?!x
80 Sausage Dogs in The Potting Shed Garden?
Completely Bonkers, but in all honesty Jonathan, TOTALLY 'doo-able' my darling, and 'bring it on'.x

I'm in the process of advertising on a website called 'Rover Recommends', so that peeps with Dogs can easily find establishments like us, knowing that they can bring their Puppy Dog, Relax, Enjoy, and know that they're truly welcome to be with us.

And I have some FABlious photos of some of our visitors to show you now, because I've been taking some lovely inpromtu photos on my phone.

Seriously..................




Thursday 9 April 2015

Happy Birthday To Me, Happy Birthday To Me......

Happy Birthday Dear Wellie......  Happy Birthday To Me!

NO!......  I'm not like The Queen, with Official, and Unofficial Birthdays.  But!:

My Best Friend, M, called me at The Potting Shed yesterday, to wish me a very happy First Potting Shed Monmouth Anniversary, and it IS quite unbelievable that I set my new business up a whole year ago on the 8th of April, but I just did - okay?!x
(Thanks M.x)

SO:   HAPPY BIRTHDAY POTTING SHED MONMOUTH, and my sincere thanks to all of you who love us so much, and have supported us so beautifully over the last twelve months.x

AND Trousers, for FINALLY believing in me these days, where my own family have not.
And without the unfailing support of Gordie, Gordie, Gordie (our very tame builder), the place would still be a 3-year old wreck....

Despite my complete 'numptiness' in the Social Media department, more to my own surprise, I've managed to get The Potting Shed Monmouth recognised and accoladed 'quite nicely thank you' on Tripadvisor to quite a high rating for such a small new business, and still obviously working hard on that front to better our professional profile to the best of my ability.

BUT Children:
This Easter Weekend though, sadly, we had a group of new customers in from Oxfordshire, who clearly just didn't 'GET us'?.... and posted up on Tripadvisor, in no uncertain terms, potentially 'sullying' those hard-earned efforts of mine.

I'm not going to discuss what they had to say about 'US personally' on my blog, because you can read their words on Tripadvisor first hand, and for me to comment here, I feel, would be totally unprofessional.

Maybe because they sat INSIDE our Tearoom, DIDN'T witness that we had 30 or so customers OUTSIDE in our Garden, those tables of which, we were filling and vacating, over and over and over again in the time that they were just sat enjoying their food inside?, totally, and blissfully unaware of the 'frantically paddling duck feet under the calm pond around them that was pleasing so many new customers in the beautiful sunshine maybe?

You're welcome to read their comments, and other 'Lovely Ones' on Tripadvisor for yourselves, and please know, from me, that they were perfectly justified to comment as they did, because that WAS their exact first impression, 'of the moment' and recollection of The Potting Shed 'experience', which is what Tripadvisor is 'all about'.
Thankfully, they were collectively complimentary about our food, and we hope they'll come back one day 'in a better frame of mind.

And of course, whilst Owners of ANY business on Tripadvisor can reply online to those Customer Comments, sometimes, it's wiser NOT to, and in this particular instance, I have chosen not to.

On a much lighter note, no-one but me gets much more 'cited than this, with the prospect of my first Dutch Lorry Load of plants arriving from Holland this coming Monday evening.
(See Kiddy in A Sweet Shop?), and whilst I have requested certain plants to fulfil customer orders, I just LOVE to climb up the steps on those articulated-articulated lorries, not knowing what might be on board, and just choose whatever plants 'take my fancy' this week?

But there's a certain 'sensible' to it too, because I have to try and judge what plants Wellie likes, and what my customers might want to buy, because if I get it wrong, I'm left 'holding the horticultural baby' for the rest of the season, watering and feeding it.

The Horticultural Season has definitely 'kicked off' now though, because my customers are not only looking, but buying plants again, and asking for genuine advice on specific plants, and their gardens in general.  And I just love being 'back in the zone', up to my elbows in compost, pricking out and potting on, seeing all my seeds germinating in The Funny Farm Kitchen (on top of the Rayburn!) - much to the annual annoyance of Trousers.....!

Until next time my friends, take care.
Wellie.x





Tuesday 7 April 2015

Easter Funnies

A Very Merry Easter to Wellie's World of The Potting Shed Monmouth, and Down On The Funny Farm.x.
And Thank You all for being here.

Welcome to my (sometimes) Weekly Sunday Night Blog Updates, when I'm NOT suffering from 'Writers' Block, or Just Baking till the cows come home....?
Because let's face it, Wellie DOES NEVER even stop to let the green grass grow under her feet, or just 'put her feet up' for a 'well-deserved rest'.

I absolutely LOVE Life these days.
And sometimes, I think it's because my customers 'open up to me', telling me their lovely stories, that I can truly identify with them?

My apologies for those late arrivals, because 'writers' block' sounds rather grand and pompous, but totally isn't, and just annoys the hell out of me when it happens, because I'd rather 'bring to the table' something worthy of reading and entertaining you, rather than 'boring the ruddy pants off you' when I've got nothing to say?.
No, honestly, 'You're Welcome?!'.x

Having recently had my beloved Black Cat put to sleep, I'm delighted to say..... a la recent BC pussycat grave.... that her bucket of daffs are in full bloom now...  She's loving it, and so am I.x

And I HAVE to hold my hands up.....and totally admit to having completely lost it, and had 'A Cat Moment' of tears in my Potting Shed Tearoom this Saturday when my Best Friends, Ian & M popped in for Breakfast.
I've ALWAYS been an 'Emotional Bunny' the whole of my life, much to the total annoyance and total embarrassment of my estranged mother.

But just A Hug from Ian, COMPLETELY 'set me off'?
..... and today, with The Lovely Anna.....I very nearly 'had a cat moment too'.x

Customers, customers, customers..........  I truly thought that I'd met 'The Best', until Good Friday, when I bumped into one of them in Monmouth High Street.  And he's Completely Sane Bonkers, so we get on 'Like A House On Fire'....?

Why do folk just adore us?, but they do, and are willing to sit so closely beside us to make us the huge success that they genuinely want us to be.
Truly, I'm speechless with the support and true following that we're getting from these lovely, lovely people.

I've always set out for The Potting Shed to be Doggie-Friendly, and quite by accident, discovered this website called 'Rover Recommends'.  And have been having HUGE fun in the last day or two compiling photos to submit for our 'premium upgraded listing' on the site, which is going to cost me the additional princely sum of £25 for the pleasure.
But in fact, the person that I am, that pleasure is all mine.

And I would happily pay double, because the sheer number of customers now arriving WITH their dogs, even BEFORE we've advertised on Rover Recommends, is testament to what I'm actually saying:  Why should Dogs, and their 'well-behaved owners' NOT be allowed to enjoy the restaurants and gardens, and have to sit outside on a pavement?
I think we're allowed up to 11 photos in total.
'Milly' Cocker Spaniel today was 'a bit spesh' with her Photo Shoot, but you'll have to wait'n'see what that is......x
Just HOW cute is a teacup 11 week old Puppy?....

And too, whilst I used to smoke many moons ago, have chosen to have The Potting Shed Garden as a totally Smoke-Free-Zone, so that you can enjoy your time with us in the garden, with your Cream Tea, with Your Children, or your Puppy-Dog completely fresh as a daisy.

Honestly, we soooo care about The Potting Shed Business, it hurts.x