floral fridays -- knowing the neighbors

Today, Blair found a potted plant on our front stop. No name. No note. No explanation. We have our suspicions regarding who left it, but we're not sure. We also aren't sure what it is, though I suspect it's some kind of vegetable -- zucchini?

Similarly, a couple weeks ago someone left us a plant that was labelled as a two-year lemon tree. I don't know what a "two-year" lemon tree is; maybe that means it's two years old? Whatever. I think Blair said she figured out that it came from "the compost guy." We have to figure out where to plant it. And where to plant the (suspected) zucchini, while we're at it.

This is an interesting and encouraging development.

One nice thing about doing our own gardening is that we meet and interact with our neighbors in a way that we otherwise wouldn't. Almost everyone around here hires professional gardeners. We don't. So our yard is a bit on the ragged side. It's not fully weeded, there are areas that could use mulch, and it typically goes too long between mowings. But people see us out there, and I have been told that some know us as the weird gardening people*.

But people stop and talk with us. Our next door neighbor came by one day this week and asked us about all the label markers -- the ones that identify daylilies. His family was wondering if the were locating the graves of pets? And we got into a conversation about daylilies and life. There are some other neighbors a few doors down who stop and chat as they finish their daily walk. These are people I've known since I was a teenager -- I used to babysit their kids. And it's nice to connect. A mother comes by with her kids who pepper Blair with questions -- about the flowers, the mulch, the markers, how to plant, weed, water. She tells them that if they want she'll dig up flowers that they can take home and plant.

And this is a big part of what it means to be in a community.

But back to the mystery plants that show up...I think they're thank yous.

This season, Blair has given away lots of flowers. Daffodils spread very fast. Irises and daylilies also spread. And we've found places where flowers are spreading more than we want and encroaching on other flowers. Instead of digging up excess and throwing them away, Blair has offered them to neighbors -- some of whom gladly accept. She has seen freecycle ads from people requesting sun-loving flowers, and gone out to dig things up. I could go on, but these examples put it well.

Building bonds one bulb at a time...

*We're also known for being the house with the swing, so we have that going for us, which is nice.