Today I spent the day in Berkeley looking at my granddaughter. Seriously! I simply looked at her all day. It's was a perfect day. She's an angel, and she has such great parents!
Yesterday I talked about the different aesthetic around ornamental gardens here in Berkeley. And I confirmed my analysis today as we strolled down the street where we live. We're in an area called Kensington, where houses are quite pricey. And yet, despite the affluence of the neighborhood, and the unique beauty of these large California homes, the front gardens are completely wild. Some succulents. Some dryscaping perennials. Lots of fallen leaves, with clearly no intention of removal. And not a lawn in sight. I suppose that 's more environmentally friendly, which garners my hearty approval -- but it's just not the garden look that I want for my own home.
Another interesting observation about Berkeley home gardens, is that many families have veg gardens in their front yards. Some are well tended, others not so much - but there's lots of good intentions about growing one's own produce. This is particularly true in University Village where many of the graduate students have little gardens on their patios. I even saw some 8 inch grow bags with potatoes and herbs in them!
Different places have different ways of being, and different preferences. I know from my email that today I received my spring tulip bulbs - which is super exciting for me! But I can bet there will be no tulips here in Berkeley. And that's ok. Our differences are what make the life so interesting!