I live on a very busy street where traffic can resemble the Autobahn or a pre-Christmas line at the post office, depending on the time of day. About a year ago, our county decided to install sidewalks, which had many of us wondering how our property values might be affected. At the end of what seemed like never-ending construction, the contractor slapped down a strip of sod in a space between the curb and the sidewalk. My olive-drab patch seemed unlikely to survive, so I decided to replace it with a wildflower garden.
I spent days digging up the rocks and concrete in the shallow space, replacing them with potting soil. It would have been a relaxing activity, except that I had to keep one eye peeled for speeding commuters and the other fixed on the task at hand. Finally, I was relieved to sow my bags of seeds from a standing position, which gave me a fighting chance of survival if an errant vehicle careened in my direction.
Within a few weeks, the flowers began to sprout and I would look forward to getting home each day to inspect nature’s progress. Before too long, neighbors started stopping by, too. I call them neighbors, but they were really just strangers who happened to share my same zip-code. As the poppies and miniature sunflowers began to fill in and nod their heads in the breeze, I began to get comments from drivers who slowed or honked in approval.
“Thank you for growing your garden,” they shout. “It puts me in a good mood everyday.” Lord knows, we need more Atlanta drivers who are in a good frame of mind.
Spring turned to summer and more and more walkers and runners began to populate the sidewalks, often with their dogs in tow. My little roadside garden provided conversation alchemy. Anonymous faces have become casual friends. There is the power-walker in the floppy bonnet who strides by with news about the vacant lot down the way. The nurses who walk and talk over their lunch break, stopping to admire the flowers. The MARTA commuter, relieved for a safer trek to the station. And, our next-door neighbors, who have re-emerged after years behind their fence to offer homegrown tomatoes.
The sidewalk has been good for me, too. It makes me venture out with my frisky Jack Russell, who is a conversation starter himself. He has introduced me to a retired couple several blocks away who have shared offshoots from their purple hydrangas and a Greek seamstress who has offered me a cutting from her fig tree. As I see it, the sidewalk we worried about has actually improved our property values and our quality of life. It’s been the catalyst for conversation and community.
It’s seed sowing time again, so I’ve been back at the sidewalk turning the soil and pulling up weeds. The traffic this year seems kinder and gentler. They de-accelerate as they approach my patch. They smile as they jog and tell me they are looking forward to the flowers. This year, I might add some suggestive signage for the diehards, encouraging them to stop and smell the roses.
Happy Earth Day! I challenge everyone with a yard to start composting. It’s easy and such an efficient way to recycle for your personal benefit. Here’s how it works:
–Build or buy a composting bin at your local lawn and garden store. The bin should have a cover to keep animals and pests out, but it can be as simple as a large wooden box.
–Instead of putting vegetables, coffee grounds, fruits and egg shells in the disposal, collect them in a canister in your kitchen. When it gets full, empty into your composting bin.
–Add organic matter from your yard, e.g. grass clippings or extra dirt from potted plants. Stir the contents once a week and water occasionally to keep it moist.
In about six-eight months you will have what’s known as “black gold.” It is the richest soil you can imagine that can be re-purposed in your garden. This soil will not only provide great nutrition to your flower and vegetable garden, but it will also protect them from some diseases! It’s hard to believe, but the compost does not take on a bad odor. Caution: no animal waste allowed! You can’t compost meat scraps, for example.
–Feel very satisfied knowing that you are helping Mother Earth and yourself at the same time.
I’ve read that fish heads were used by Native Americans to enrich their soil, but I’ll have to research that further.
What a great post – it makes me so happy just reading it. I felt the same way in our East Cobb neighborhood – we didn’t really know our neighbors, just saw each other coming and going in our cars. Since moving into our urban condo in the sky in San Diego just six days ago, we’ve met more people in our building and our neighboring buildings than we met in almost 10 years in suburbia. By not using our car as much and walking our dog to the park instead of letting him out in the backyard, we’re participating in the world instead of watching it pass us by from inside four little walls.
Wildflower seeds are easy to come by, especially if you hunt for them early in the season. Check out Lowe’s or Home Depot beginning in February and March. They may still have bags of them on display. You can also order them online from specialty retailers. The key is to look for a mix of perennials and annuals so you get some return plants every year. I will update the blog with \progress\ shots of my garden. It’s up to about a foot high right now. Wouldn’t it be a happier world if everyone planted a wildflower garden?
Stay tuned for news about composting. It’s an easy Earth Day thing to do and it makes your flowers much more healthy!–Caroline
It sounds like your neighborhood desperately needed a sidewalk there – kudos to you for making it an event!
how can i get one of these started? is there a “seed package”?
Caroline, I love this post. After living in Atlanta for only 8 months, I’ve definitely figured out that it’s WAY too easy for you to go to work, come home, and stay in your house. I grew up in a small neighborhood, and I was very close with all my surrounding neighbors. It has been interesting moving to a big city where there is a good chance you won’t know any of your neighbors, and it makes me sad. I love having neighbors.
I’ve been working in our yard lately, and it has definitely been a conversation starter with our neighbors who don’t like my roommates and me that much. Nature always reminds us of the simplicities of life, and it shows your neighbors that you care about something more than your job. Please keep us updated on this summer’s conversations!