Just testing the water, Would you be offended if I knocked on your door

swingaloo

Im moving home soon and have been planning my new colour scheme etc. I found a gorgeous 'old fashioned' jug vase at a charity shop a while ago and it is crying out for some tall large flowers to sit in it on my window bottom.
Ideal both size and colour wise would be about 5 of 6 Hydrangea stems. Ive been looking how to dry them out so they last.  But, I don't have any in my garden. I have looked at some artificial ones but the only ones I found which were realistic were £7.99 each which is far from money saving. 
Whilst driving around I keep seeing gorgeous bushes in peoples gardens and Ive been so tempted to stop and ask if they would mind parting with a couple of stems.  But would that be a really cheeky thing to do? Be honest, I dont mind. Would it in someway spoil the bush if a couple were cut out as I wouldnt want to ask if it was going to make a mess of someone's plant.  Obviously I wouldnt approach were I though perhaps a little old lady or man lived alone as they may not like callers and obviously I would have to bear in mind the social distancing.,  I thought I may have a drive round when its a really nice sunny day in the hope of someone being out in the garden but would you be offended if I were to ask you?

Brambling

I wouldn't ask for 5 or 6 from someone.  I probably wouldn't like you knocking on my door unless I knew you but if someone is in their garden it can't hurt to ask for a couple.  I would compliment them on their garden and ask if you could be cheeky and could they spare a couple, after all they can say no.  

TBH even if it's a little old lady or man I would ask as long as you stand at a distance and maybe call them over from the pavement.  

rach_k

I wouldn't be offended but I might want to say no, but then would feel bad about it if I did, or regret not standing up for myself if I said yes.  Either way, I wouldn't feel great about it (I'm aware that that's my own weirdness!).  

If you knocked and asked where I'd bought the plant or if I had any tips for growing them and explained why you wanted to grow your own, I'd probably offer you some and feel good that I'd done something nice.  If you dropped a cake or some nice biscuits round later I'd feel even better about it!

greenbee

Bear in mind most people won't be answering the door to strangers at the moment. If you're talking to people in their gardens, make sure you keep your distance (not everyone seems to manage this when talking over the gate/hedge...) even if wearing a mask and gloves (and if you're not, remember that this may put them off speaking to you). If they do offer to cut some stems for you, have a plastic bag you can hang on the gate/fence for them to put the flowers in, so that neither of you needs to touch the same thing. 

Pollycat

I wouldn't want a random stranger knocking on my door at any time, let alone right now.

If I was in my front garden and you stopped and asked, I'd be happy to give some stems if - and only if - they were ready for cutting and I didn't want to keep them for seed.

I'd probably offer you some poppy heads too, they make nice arrangements, and I like to get them cut before they start seeding everywhere.

Farway

I'd think cheeky s0d and say no.

However if approached as others have said, while I was pottering and it was mentioned then I'd probably respond like PC above

LameWolf

Pollycat said:

I wouldn't want a random stranger knocking on my door at any time, let alone right now.

^ ^ ^ This. I'm disabled, and very nervous about answering the door, to the extent that I have a video camera system so that I can see who's at the door without actually answering it. If it's someone I don't know and am not expecting, I get my husband to deal with them if he's here, if if he isn't, I keep quiet and wait for them to leave.

happyandcontented

I wouldn't have a problem with it at all if I was in the garden. If you knocked and asked I would be a bit surprised, but I would be fine with it.

thriftwizard

I wouldn't be in the slightest bit offended. I do it myself in autumn, after unwanted fruit for turning into jams & jellies; I always return a jar (or bottle) of the eventual product to the donors, who are usually surprised & delighted to find out that things like Japonica quinces, crab apples & cherry plums are actually edible & delicious once cooked. Obviously this year is a little different, but most of my local "targets" know me by now & stop me in the street or email me to see if I'm ok if I haven't collected their unwanted fruit for some reason! I've never had anyone turn me away, and always ask politely.

MrsStepford

I would tell you to take your Covid-19 germs away with you and not open the door.

Pollycat

Since we've been reworking both our front and back garden, I've been chatting to a lot of people when I've been on the front.

I'm best mates with all the local dog population.

A lady I don't know stopped to chat the other week and was telling me she had just taken over an allotment up the road.

I gave her some seed trays I didn't want and today we were just finishing off tidying the garage when she came past.

I asked if she could use some small plug trays and she was pleased.

Then we asked if she needed any plant pots, she was very eager.

So we retrieved quite a lot from the skip and I put them in a large bag and she promised to bring me some lettuce and raspberries.

I think that's very different to just knocking on a stranger's door and asking.