Post by mamared on Feb 27, 2022 21:49:34 GMT -5
Although most of the excitement around Blaire’s Garden seemed focused on the Silkie chicken, I was actually more excited about getting it for the garden and plants. Yes, they’re plasticky, but gardens work so well with a variety of dolls and time periods, so I couldn’t resist. Here are some more descriptions and photos of the set:
“The garden is one of Blaire's favorite places on her family's farm: full of vibrant color and edible flowers, it's easy to find inspiration for new dishes or designs whenever she visits. Includes:
“Raised garden structure with rich pretend soil, holes for an interchangeable set of plants to grow, plant markers, and a removable nesting box for chickens” - The garden structure comes in three pieces: the garden box with soil, the trellis structure that slides into slots behind it, and the box for the chicken nest (which secures on either end of the box with a tab and slot underneath it). I like the soft green color, the “Pleasant View Farm” name (which seems like a nod to the original Pleasant Company), and the fun and flexibility of having interchangeable holes for the different plants and their markers. There are three kinds of flowers - marigolds, lavender, and primrose - and three herbs - chives, basil, and dill. The plants, as noted before, are pretty plasticky but I think the design is clever. I also think it’s a fairly reasonable size for herbs and flowers; more like a window box than a garden bed, but these aren’t veggies that would need a lot of space for roots. Not having ever had chickens myself, I can’t comment on how reasonable it is to expect the nesting box to be adjacent to a flower and herb garden.
“Blaire's favorite white Silkie chicken, Dandelion ("Dandy" for short) and her nest with pretend eggs” - The chicken is kind of cute, and I appreciate having having a Silkie instead of a more common or expected variety, as it gave me the chance to learn something new. The nest is a rather large piece of rubbery material, and the three clumped eggs are also rather large. I no longer have the eggs and egg carton from Blaire’s Family Farm Restaurant to compare, but I believe these are larger.
“Shovel Blaire can hold and use for digging” - This aqua-handled plastic trowel is the perfect size and has the perfect curve to either plant or dig out the flowers and herbs in the garden. It’s fairly lightweight and doesn’t seem especially hardy, but the functionality gets extra points from me. The handle has a hole in case you want to hang it somewhere (or attach a string for hanging).
“Watering can with flower art to keep plants hydrated” - This orange plastic watering can is a disappointment. The plastic is lightweight and feels cheap, the flower art is not that cute, and there aren’t even holes in the spout, so it’s not a functional watering can. No thank you.
“Basket to carry tools, freshly picked produce, or even newly laid eggs back to the restaurant” - This is a good size rectangular-shaped basket made out of a somewhat flexible plastic material. It’s the same basket but different color that came with Kit’s Gardening Accessories in one of her last releases, and while I think it’s too plasticky to look realistic, I do think it’s pretty functional and would hold up to play. In this photo, it’s holding all six plants from the set and their markers.
Overall, I really like this set. I might be in the minority in that I bought it for the garden, but I would grade it an overall B based on the playability, construction, function, and retail price. Personally, I think it’s a more reasonable buy in the $35-40 range, which is probably what I paid for it after rewards.
A few more photos of the front/back or top/bottom of the accessories that came with the set:
“The garden is one of Blaire's favorite places on her family's farm: full of vibrant color and edible flowers, it's easy to find inspiration for new dishes or designs whenever she visits. Includes:
“Raised garden structure with rich pretend soil, holes for an interchangeable set of plants to grow, plant markers, and a removable nesting box for chickens” - The garden structure comes in three pieces: the garden box with soil, the trellis structure that slides into slots behind it, and the box for the chicken nest (which secures on either end of the box with a tab and slot underneath it). I like the soft green color, the “Pleasant View Farm” name (which seems like a nod to the original Pleasant Company), and the fun and flexibility of having interchangeable holes for the different plants and their markers. There are three kinds of flowers - marigolds, lavender, and primrose - and three herbs - chives, basil, and dill. The plants, as noted before, are pretty plasticky but I think the design is clever. I also think it’s a fairly reasonable size for herbs and flowers; more like a window box than a garden bed, but these aren’t veggies that would need a lot of space for roots. Not having ever had chickens myself, I can’t comment on how reasonable it is to expect the nesting box to be adjacent to a flower and herb garden.
“Blaire's favorite white Silkie chicken, Dandelion ("Dandy" for short) and her nest with pretend eggs” - The chicken is kind of cute, and I appreciate having having a Silkie instead of a more common or expected variety, as it gave me the chance to learn something new. The nest is a rather large piece of rubbery material, and the three clumped eggs are also rather large. I no longer have the eggs and egg carton from Blaire’s Family Farm Restaurant to compare, but I believe these are larger.
“Shovel Blaire can hold and use for digging” - This aqua-handled plastic trowel is the perfect size and has the perfect curve to either plant or dig out the flowers and herbs in the garden. It’s fairly lightweight and doesn’t seem especially hardy, but the functionality gets extra points from me. The handle has a hole in case you want to hang it somewhere (or attach a string for hanging).
“Watering can with flower art to keep plants hydrated” - This orange plastic watering can is a disappointment. The plastic is lightweight and feels cheap, the flower art is not that cute, and there aren’t even holes in the spout, so it’s not a functional watering can. No thank you.
“Basket to carry tools, freshly picked produce, or even newly laid eggs back to the restaurant” - This is a good size rectangular-shaped basket made out of a somewhat flexible plastic material. It’s the same basket but different color that came with Kit’s Gardening Accessories in one of her last releases, and while I think it’s too plasticky to look realistic, I do think it’s pretty functional and would hold up to play. In this photo, it’s holding all six plants from the set and their markers.
Overall, I really like this set. I might be in the minority in that I bought it for the garden, but I would grade it an overall B based on the playability, construction, function, and retail price. Personally, I think it’s a more reasonable buy in the $35-40 range, which is probably what I paid for it after rewards.
A few more photos of the front/back or top/bottom of the accessories that came with the set: