Native Son: Neighborhood Stroll

Seventy-one degrees is a great reason to leave the house. Took a stroll around the neighborhood, just checkin’ it out. Thought about Thanksgiving and the importance of truly being grateful for what we have. Not to get sappy or anything, but it’s true: gratitude determines attitude, and attitude, well, determines about 90% of your life.

Anyhoo, with my brain in such a state, I proceeded down my street, grateful indeed for the many 40- to 60-year-old trees, primarily oaks, that almost create a solid tunnel. As I passed by the houses in my South Fort Worth neighborhood, I began to ponder the histories of these front yards, and what they say about the people inside these homes. (As for me, I chose my particular rent house because of the massive live oaks smothering it.)

A few streets down I’m just snapping pics of things I like or interest me when I saw this simple, yet charming decoration on a front door. Well, I couldn’t get a decent pic from the street, so I go ring the bell to ask permission. This lady hollered something and I hollered back my name and that she didn’t have to actually open the door. Now ‘bout this time, I start thinking … why would any sane woman open the door to a 6’3” behemoth carrying a large walking stick?

Well, she opened the door and said, “I know you!”

My curiosity was piqued about as much as her hubby’s, so we both listened intently. I was thinking she might be that cool chick in the blue tank top from the Foghat concert back in ’81. Hubs was probably hoping we were pen pals from when I was in seminary. (Turns out she wasn’t; he wasn’t; and I wasn’t … ever in seminary.) The real story was she had seen a few of my talks and lived to tell the tale. Lifetime gardener, garden club, etc. Anyway, I got the grand garden tour.

Larry and Virginia. Larry is an interesting guy. Outwardly, he appears to chill while his wife parades some big ol’ bear around the garden. Stealthily, he goes around back, opens the gate, moves the trash bins, and gets the unmentionables off the line before I see them. Don’t let that innocent look fool you … I figure these two actually attended Woodstock.

This “slim as Fred Astaire” side yard bed was the site of the awkward moment … dom dom dom … I was complementing the superb lantana when Virginia suddenly looked panicked, then timidly said, “It’s not the native one … is that okay?” If I had known her five minutes longer, I would have faked a tirade and had a good laugh, but I took the high road and assured her that I wouldn’t lecture her or anyone about potential ecological issues with lantana (every gardener should research this), and I gave her assurance that her lantana would not cause the collapse of the entire North Texas ecosystem.

Left photo: A nice, tight garden shed is an absolute luxury. Right photo: Nothing like a new shed to inspire organization. I’m thinking we can fit a mini-fridge under that bottom shelf to keep our “garden beverages” chilled.

Left photo: Ripening seed pods on butterfly weed. Virginia plants a few in empty spots here and there in the beds and the rest … perhaps sown along the slope? Right photo: Virginia declared, “You just can’t go wrong with a Kaleidoscope Abelia.” I agree.

Left photo: This is the good stuff. Family heirloom tools still in use. That new fat tire sure helped that wheelbarrow! Five gallon buckets full of compost stand ready for duty. Right photo: Now this chick knows quality stuff. Ornamental mustard is my all-time favorite winter annual. Sometimes hard to find, so grab it when you see it at the nursery. It does not disappoint.

Now, the “no back fence” idea took me aback a bit … and at first, it kind of unnerved me. But I grew to dig it the more I saw and thought about it. Basically, if everyone else is fenced and you know all the neighbors … Fun little sailing vignette on the porch.

This narrow border bed is loaded with great pollinator plants, mostly perennials. The trees are on a 30-degree slope along a stormwater ditch. If it were me, I’d plant Lindheimer’s Muhly 5 feet apart and accent it with small trees (power lines above) – Goldenball Leadtree, Weeping Yaupon Holly, maybe Rusty Blackhaw. Hmmm … maybe Hollywood Juniper. Bird of Paradise / Pride of Barbados (Caesalpinia pulcherrima) would be nice, but not really winter hardy in Fort Worth. Perhaps the slightly less showy, but slightly more hardy Mexican Bird of Paradise (C. mexicana)…

So I collect a few hugs and head on down the street again, looking for beautiful things … and taking a few pics of other places. I giggle to myself about when I visit someone’s garden, people are always afraid I will somehow judge it lacking, or even unworthy. Yes, I have visited many opulent gardens, from Longwood and Kew to NY Botanic Garden and The Oregon Garden. And I have had the privilege of working at gardens large and small. And in between all those gardens, I have seen ‘bout every kind of home, from palatial mansions to inhabited corn cribs … and the gardens that surround them. What I like is to see people cultivating something … creating something … learning something … whatever and however that may be. Mistakes? I’ve made a ton of them myself … most only once.

And with all of that in mind, shall we take a stroll through the neighborhood and chat?

Dear Reader, please look at each photo and collect your thoughts before reading my comments. It will be interesting how we sometimes look at the same things very differently.

A classic look from 1960’s Suburbia. A mini version of some of those huge East Coast mansions. Some would say outdated. I say a crisp, very well-maintained landscape that makes the owner happy. And I assume this neighbor to be fastidious, both in dress and profession. (Oh, the assumptions we make…) To me, this illustrates perfectly the term “landscape,” in that it serves to complement the home and people don’t really use the space. (Kind of like the formal dining room, back in the day.) To me, a “garden” is where people are an integral part of the space.

Some folks might grimace at the unusual arrangement at the base of this oak tree. I probably wouldn’t recommend it. But when I began to really look at the whole … well maintained landscape, house is sharp … the planting was obviously intentional. Best I can figure, the shrubs at the bottom of the tree are being trained into a giant acorn, from which the mighty oak arises. Another 18 inches on the top shrub and he’ll be there. (I’ll bet you can’t unsee the acorn now…)

I love fun and frivolity in the garden! This hedge looks like a giant dog toy to me. Dollars to donuts the tubers on those sweet potato vines are as big as Saint Bernard puppies. You can tell a fun person lives here. Butterfly garden barely visible up the driveway.

The Tree Guy in me says, “Ouch! Over-pruned.” The Turf Guy in me says, “That’s whatcha gotta do ta grow dagrass undah datreez.” And the battle will continue forever … or until the hort industry figures out how to make turf out of dwarf sedges – looks like grass, sun or shade, wet or dry, never needs mowing. The Neighbor Guy walking down the street in me says, “Bravo! People are gardening!”

Left photo: I loooove this old “couple” of Yaupon Hollies. Reminds me of the old monsters on the FW Botanic Garden’s Rose Ramp years ago. Right photo: Looking straight on, this is literally a textbook example of male and female yaupons, juxtaposed to show both obvious and subtle differences. (You should always use the word “juxtapose” every chance you get.)

Enchanted by the tree, cheered by the flag, and delighted by one of the quirkiest things to ever tickle my garden fancy; limestone walls that need just a little bit of work. Weird, I know … they call to me like hungry puppies. I can tell already some reader has taken issue with the big ball shrubs. Some might say, “not in good taste.” What I see is football season and the guy’s a little behind on trimming the shrubs. Cut him some slack. As far as “good taste” of big ball shrubs … they look groovy to me.

This classic “tree growing through an old park bench” made me grin. It would be fun to straighten it up, slap a little paint on it, and install new slats (save a space for the tree!). Maybe plant a couple of American Beautyberries behind it for backdrop and AC screen. A few inset stones on the slope for symbolic steps; maybe a few ferns at the foot of the bench. A pumpkin or two and a scarecrow reclined across the bench, tree emerging from his bellybutton. This could be a famous neighborhood landmark. (And I’ll bet all you saw something entirely different.)

This is a cool modern landscape, set off by the groovin’ orange front door. The sparseness is intentional; designed to complement the home, sure, but it also creates opportunities for the interplay of shadows, such as the tree shadow against the front wall. All plants are low water use and tough. Love it for what it is artistically, but also for the bold statement it makes philosophically. I look forward to seeing the little tweaks as the owners are inspired to do so. Ha! I just now saw the squirrel on the entry walk! Posing, no less.

I remember seeing this little iris bed in the spring … it was worthy of a garden magazine cover. I figure this neighbor is having issues that prevent them from tending it. This is no landscaper installation; this was planted with love. I made myself a pledge to talk to the owners and help clean it up. Next spring, it will be beautiful again. Note to newbies … Iris are tuff!

And finally, I come to this place. Perhaps it hits you as a fright at first sight. But as I looked closer … old pots, old tools, old garden ornaments. Lots of old-fashioned pass-along plants in here. Dead trees stand amidst “can’t-kill” perennials … ruellia, purpleheart, and frog fruit. Old water hoses, cracked and frozen in tight coils. I’ve seen landscapes where older gardeners lived, folks who can’t keep up with their former playgrounds and in some cases couldn’t afford to have it done for them. In time, Nature’s attrition might fill a house like this with a young family, who will make their own dream of it. And the band plays on ….

I am grateful for eyes that can see beauty in the familiar, the different, the fresh, the old, the glorious, and the forgotten. I am grateful for a roof overhead and food in the fridge. And I am grateful to live in this little neighborhood, where a simple stroll can bring new friends and fresh perspectives. What an honor to cultivate our tiny parcels of Mother Earth, whether expertly or not, and all find ourselves richer for the effort.

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I need a road trip! Let me know if you’d like me to come and speak to your group sometime. I’m low maintenance, flexible, and you know I like to go just about anywhere. No city too big; no town to small. Just send me an e-mail at stevenchamblee@yahoo.com and we’ll work something out.