Tea for free at the nursery

OVER the Easter long weekend, Smythesdale’s Birdsong Nursery & Gardens only had one customer.

Owner, Karen Gray figured people may have been nervous to venture out of their homes, with all the “doom and gloom,” or simply didn’t know the business was still operating, so a sweet plan was drawn.

“We’re giving free Devonshire teas to people to take away, just to cheer them up a bit. It’s a pretty stressful time,” she said.

“No one has much money to spend at this time, we realise that. If people are getting cabin fever, we’re just wanting to do our bit, give people somewhere to go and safely look around the gardens.

“A few have come out and said they saw our ad on Facebook, and they were there for the Devonshire tea. It made people smile. It’s a nice way to give back.”

If people are looking for projects to keep themselves active and mindful at home, Mrs Gray said gardening and plants are a positive pastime.

“There’s nothing negative about gardening. You get some physical exercise, some fresh air, you’re improving your home environment and adding value to your property.

“People can do little projects. It doesn’t have to cost a fortune. You can do a nice, bright tub of flowering plants that are going to look lovely in a few weeks’ time,” she said.

Birdsong is offering Anzac biscuits with coffees this weekend. Open Wednesday to Sunday, 10am to 5pm, they practice social distancing and have hand sanitiser accessible.