"Can I touch your bush?"

This is what I said to my forty-something neighbor this afternoon after long winter months of quick waves to and from our cars. At the same time the boy and my neighbor snickered. My neighbor (divorced) replied "It's been a long time since anyone's asked me that." How could I think that was an ok thing to say? And in case you're wondering, yes, I did stroke her bush a little.

(Context: The boy and I had just gotten back from Menards and were looking at shrubbery. I was trying to explain to him what type of bush I wanted in the front yard--it looks like a little pine tree but it's soft. We got out of the car and I saw my neighbor's bush and realized it was exactly what I wanted, but I did want to make sure it was the soft kind.)