Some Final Thoughts on the Garden

I think this is going to be the last blog related to my garden for a while.  It’s possible I’ll return to it at some point in the future. My parting thought concerning the garden is that it’s not going to belong to me forever.

 

We moved into this neighbor over 25 years ago. During that time, we’ve seen a lot of changes.  I don’t think the neighborhood is any more or less safe. It is still pretty much working class, and was probably hit harder than many when the economy went south.  Sadly, I think this neighborhood experienced more of its fair share of foreclosures.

In those 25+ years, some homes have had three or four owners.  I’ve walked the neighborhood a lot. It’s one of the ‘advantages’ of having two dogs during many of those years.   think I took Petey for 5,000 walks (no kidding) during the 15 years of his life.

During those walks, I’ve gotten to observe how people take care of their homes, or don’t.  Some homes have looked worse with each successive owner.  Others have gotten better. There were those which were the pride of the neighborhood when we moved in, and are now comparative dumps.

When we first came to this neighborhood, there was a home about three blocks from here which was a show stopper.  I think it could have made it to Better Homes and Gardens.  The landscaping was picture perfect. The large side yard had a garden I would love to have the skill level to emulate.

The original owners moved out some time ago, and within 2-3 years, the next owners let the gardens go. They went from beautiful, to a neighborhood weed patch, and were finally pulled up.

With all the love, care, and attention I’ve given my garden, some day it will be owned by someone else. I will have no control of what they do with it.  They may not have the time or the interest to work on it. What is is now a passion of mine could easily end-up in the hands of someone who could care less.

I hear comments all the time some wetlands or reserve of tress will remain that way forever.  Forever is a really long time. Others state with full assurance that some hero or group of heroes will never be forgotten.  The same statement holds true; forever is a long time.  As an example, few of the Civil War monuments which dot our landscape seldom stir the passion they once did. We pass them today with little thought.

 As with my garden, we really can’t promise much about anything concerning the future.  I have visited once-grand neighborhoods of my home city of Detroit. Those that built those neighbors, lived in those homes, during their prominence would find it difficult to believe what those areas of the city have become.

What things in life really matter?  What will last?  Am I suggesting that we should never spend our time and money on things that won’t last?  Not at all. Rather, in my opinion, we often spend too much money, on things which will only be ours for what amounts to be little of long term value.  Maybe we need to dial-it-back a bit, and find ways to invest in things of more lasting value.

My blogs, my current book; TEN DAYS, are meant to make us a little uncomfortable (they do me).  Hopefully, my readers are finding me entertaining, but if that’s all that happens; I’ve fallen very short of my goal, my purpose in life.