Walking the neighbourhood

Hope you have been having fun on your daily constitutional reading your neighbours’ personalities spread out for all to see in their front gardens. Here’s a few more types you might encounter.

Disciplinarians. They are always clipping, clipping, clipping. They’ll probably be out there with the secateurs even as you pass. Hedges are their strong point, trimmed to precise green rectangles. Everything moveable is put exactly in its place – bins, hose. The thought of dirt tramped through the house appals them…the front path is hosed down each morning, water restrictions or no. Weeds? Not to be seen.

Romantics. They give themselves away by the choice of foliage: feathery, light-dappled, small-leaved trees and plants. The pepper tree is a favourite and perhaps a drift of blue forget-me-nots. Romantic types add little touches here and there: wind chimes, bird baths, a small tinkling water feature. Their garden is organised into nooks: a seat under the shade here, a tiny enclosed lawn there. Almost every element is curved.

Absent minded. These busy people have other things on their minds but gardens. Sodden local newspapers lie on the driveway in various stages of disintegration. The grass hasn’t been mown all winter. The re-cycling bin has been tipped sideways into the garden bed since last collection day. A rope clothesline rigged up when the dryer went on the blink two years ago is still dangling.

September 2018