My Chaotic Garden

I live in suburbia. You know- one of those planned subdivisions with four or five home models that are made to look different by their changed elevation or the color of the brick?

This particular neighborhood was built twenty plus years ago. There are mature trees and bushes and most of the yards are tastefully landscaped with an expanse of St. Augustine grass (aka cultivated weeds.)

Speaking of weeds, my backyard suffered extensive winter damage a few years ago and most of the grass died. (Unlike the unwanted weeds, St. Augustine grass is not particularly winter hardy.) It started dying in a strange crop circle formation. My theory is a tree was once in that spot and the ground never recovered from its removal.

But the last couple of cold winters killed off the rest of the grass leaving dry hay behind. I was unemployed at the time, so the back yard was a low priority. Besides, the front yard was looking good and no one could see the mess out back. So, we left it alone, and my son mowed the weeds down once a week.

Last year I had a great idea to take the large tree droppings (dead leaves) that littered my patio and cover the dead grass. On top of the leaves I placed old newspapers. I read that it was a great way to smother weeds and a natural compost. I threw a couple of bags of soil on top of the papers and planted some bushes and flowers.

It looked pretty good, until the drought hit, and the sprinkler system failed, and the bushes dried up. The flowers, however survived.

Each winter they disappear and in the Spring they come back and spread. I also noticed a little yellow flower that has popped up in two or three random places around the yard. It's taking on the look of a cottage garden.

My back yard is a good lesson for life. Sometimes the chaos is good. My instinct is to jump right in, clean up the mess, and restore order. In the process I wear myself out.

Perhaps it is better to sit back. If I had pulled out the lawn mower a week ago, the fledgling plants would have been plowed down before they were ready to show their glory.

Maybe a little chaos is good at times. It forces us to step back, and wait for the seeds of ideas to germinate, and the flowers of ideas to grow.