Pretty and pink pretty much describes the current state of my gardens. Just opposite the pink flowers of the Barbados cherry, in a separate bed beneath two smaller oaks, are the pink flowers of the rock roses. They front the bed and are the main reason for its constant expansion. As they grow out toward the east and the morning sun, we simply move the rocks that line the bed. Pretty soon they will engulf the eastern redbud my son planted a while back.

It’s all part of the plan, however. Plants, understory trees, just stuff growing so that there’s less mowing. We also feel it’s beneficial to the oaks. Biodiversity. Keeps the soil healthy. Lots of nutrients for everyone. So far it seems to be working and the butterflies and bees are certainly having fun along with the grasshoppers who feed on the turks caps leaves. Everyone to their niche and a niche for everyone. And I wonder what’s going on in the shadows at ground level. No telling. Maybe a garden snake. That would be nice. Too many cats, though, I suspect.

I really think, at some point, I would be perfectly happy having my world shrink down to this little piece of earth. Just me and the trees and the plants and the cats and the birds running into my windows. Idyllic comes to mind, but it might be too hot for that even in the winter. Let’s just say there’s enough to do to keep a man busy. Heck, I can walk most anywhere in town, although getting across 290/281 to get groceries might be a trick. Five lanes of semi-high-speed traffic. Maybe I should get a bicycle with a basket. There’s a thought. And here’s another. It sure will be nice when the first cold front gets here.

John W. Wilson is the author of The Long Goodbye: A Caregiver’s Tale