I am sitting out at the table on the back patio just looking at the garden . Everything seems to have been eager to bloom lately . The world seems to be falling to pieces, but the garden is doing well .
Sure , it’s a little overgrown and chaotic ; but , hey , that’s life !
There is a large bay laurel tree near the back fence . For some reason the neighbor who lives on the other side of the fence desperately wants to cut it . To ten feet , he says . Is that okay ? , he asks .
We’re on good terms . I okayed cutting the laurel . We’ve been discussing it for about a year now . I meant to do the cutting so that he wouldn’t have to , but then I broke a couple of ribs and for awhile I couldn’t do that kind of work and for another while I didn’t want to . I’m back to considering renting a saw and trimming the thing myself . On the other hand , maybe the neighbor wants to do it himself. Might give him a project to get a sense of accomplishment from . I wouldn’t want to deprive the guy of that .
Last week he brought the bay laurel up again in our over-the-fence conversation . He seemed still determined to get at the project of cutting the tree to ten feet . I don’t know why he’s so determined about my tree. It doesn’t grow onto his side of the fence . It doesn’t block any view he might otherwise have . He might see my garage better when it’s cut , and that’s about it .
Poor devil has only grass on his side . He mows it and trims the edges ; but what else does one do with grass ! So , I guess maybe he wants a project . Go for it , I say !
He’s a very nice guy ; but I suspect that maybe he’s wound a little too tight . Needs the tree to be neat . Needs the world to be neat . As it is , it’s a bit wild and it has indeed grown slapdashedly into a huge beast of unwieldy sloppiness .
The bay leaves are good in soup , though . I tried to get my neighbor to pick some to use in cooking . There are enough for an army , but I’m pretty sure he’s never taken me up on the offer . Boiled , the leaves also make a surprisingly tasty tea . Supposed to be good for you , too !
I can hear him back there , now , neatening up his trash barrels . He’d go crazy with my higgledy-piggledy garden , I suppose . He’d make it his task to neaten it all up .
Ada likes our garden , too . The roses are all hers . It’s a bit crowded and disorderly ; but , hey , that’s life !
Our backyard at one time was all grass , too ; just like the neighbor’s . Little by little Ada and I have transformed it into something else . The haphazard quality of the yard used to drive Ada crazy , too . Every once in awhile she’d desperately assign me the task of neatening it all up and making it more orderly .
I have to admit that I’m not a very orderly personality . Inside my brain you would most likely find a disorderly mess of jumbled half-thoughts and confused havoc . It’s a wonder that I have made it through life so far without some major catastrophe .
Wait a minute ! I hear the neighbor firing up some sort of electric saw over there . Maybe he’s finally getting down to making his laurel trimming dreams come true ! Good for him , I say ! If I wasn’t so relaxed today I’d offer to help , but I’m not in the mood today . I’ll just relax a bit longer and watch . Actually , as my friend William likes to say , I love work . I could watch it all day long .
No , no , I hear his lawn mower getting started . He’s going after the grass again . The tree trimming gets postponed again , it seems .
One of these days , Alice ! One of these days ! Ralph Kramden said that . Never put off till tomorrow what may be done day after tomorrow just as well . Mark Twain said that .
itkindofgotawayfromyou 
I like your approach, Dan. No sense fretting about trying to bring nature under our control.
Don’t tell my neighbor , Dan .
Your garden looks a lot like Derrick & Jackie Knight’s over in the UK. Looking great!
Thanks.
So pretty!
Yes. Thanks for the comment , Jennie.
You’re welcome, Dan.