The Ordinance

Back at the beginning of June, the City of Seymour in its wisdom demanded that I remove all the plants on the terrace strip (the area between the sidewalk and the street).  I had spent years tending a flower garden there which had been the delight of children, walkers and neighbors, but some grinch had complained about it. What interested me during the digging up procedure was that so many passersby stopped to say it was a terrible thing to do.

(See the posts for June 3, 2011 - "Mowing it Down" and June 7, 2011 - "Lemon Meringue Pie")

Since that time, the strip has remained dirt with a few irises and day lilies poking their sprouts out of the ground.  Nothing attractive, that is certain.

A week ago Monday the city council approved the first reading of an amendment to the terrace planting ordinance allowing plants of up to 40 inches (my tallest plants were the irises at less than 40 inches) in a defined bed covering not more than 50 square feet (the size of that flower bed).

I stopped at city hall and asked what was going on.  It seems the council got some complaints from citizens who pointed out that people liked my flowers, especially the bouquets I used to donate to anyone who asked.

None of this will bring back the flower garden in that strip.  It takes at least three years to get a perennial bed going and up to ten years to get it to full bloom.  I don't have the money for the many bulbs and plants. Most of what was there was donated.  

Neither do I have the time.  I am now 67 and no longer have the energy I did twenty five years ago when I began my gardens.  Gary and I want to travel and camp in these golden years, not be tied down to this place.  We are going to slowly remove some of the plots I planted.   That time has passed. If I plant anything on the terrace strip, it will only be hostas, easy to care for, no mowing required.

The council's actions cannot bring back what was, but younger gardeners now can do what I did.  If they do, I will be sure to stop by and thank them for bringing beauty to a barren landscape.