Set Yourself Down

You will not find photos of my yard on gardening websites. Neighbors do not stop by marveling at the profusion of flowers grown at the hands of my green thumb. I do not need to cut back my azaleas because they are taking over. 

The soil in my yard is clay-ey and full of rocks, the lawn full of weeds, and the sun passes over without making a stop. Plus the area is so big as to make the whole prospect of gardening overwhelming. That doesn’t stop me from trying. I plant stuff every year, and sometimes the trees or flowers survive into the next year. Yay! From time to time plants and shrubs that I can’t identify take root. Probably most of these would be considered weeds (poison ivy, anyone?), but as long as they are not dead I leave them alone. Come to think of it, I leave the dead stuff alone too.

My yard has an interesting feature. I have two stone benches positioned over some tiles, which face an upraised rock with some flowers growing around it. It was put in by the previous home owners as a memorial to their daughter who died at a young age. It serves as a reminder to me that life is fleeting. 

Like the rest of my grounds, this section is nothing to crow about. Clay-ey soil, lotsa rocks, weeds, etc. With so much else not going on in my yard I hadn’t paid a lot of attention to its upkeep.

A few years ago one of my neighbors asked me if it would be all right if she sat and rested on one of the benches while she was out for a walk. She said she was getting really tired on her afternoon strolls. “Of course!” I answered. “You don’t have to ask!”

I don’t know if she ever took her break on the bench, but not too long after that she passed away. 

I decided that I wanted to make sure that anyone who wanted to sit and rest would feel comfortable doing it. 

First of all, speaking of comfort, there was the question of the stone. Not too appealing to your tush. So I bought a couple of cushions. Then there was the matter of how would people know it was okay to sit? Most walkers-by would not just roam into someone’s yard and park their butt on their bench. So I had a sign made that said “Need a rest? Have a seat!” Then the hard part: it really is not that inviting an area. I wish it was lush with the aforesaid azaleas, a smattering of  snapdragons, maybe even a bed of roses. But, as I have already described, clay-ey soil, rocks, etc. Nonetheless, I have been working on the space. I laid a simple stone pathway from the street leading to the bench. I planted a few trees and shrubs. (I practically broke my shovel digging into the ground.) I picked up a bunch of random sticks. Still, it was not that beautiful. What to do? Finally I decided to take that approach that it might not be much, but I am offering it in good faith, and anyway, it’s all I got.

I still have not seen anyone sitting there. Maybe ramblers still are reluctant to march into a stranger’s yard and make themselves at home. Maybe they wouldn’t mind someplace nice, but my little cove doesn’t measure up. Or maybe nobody gets tired. 

I realize that maybe I am just doing this for myself. It’s possible that no one else notices or cares. I think that is all right. To nurture a welcoming idea, to care for plants that are just getting started and need protection, to extend what I own for others – I think it is all worthwhile.

Thanks for reading! If you would like to subscribe: