Planting Ideas

 

Now that I’ve achieved the heady title of building rep here in our tropical world, I’ve got myself embroiled in a Project.

The idea is to collect unwanted furniture and donate it to a resale shop that then donates the proceeds to a local hospice. Already there are glimmerings of herding gerbils, never mind cats, but I’ll write more as things shake out.

          My current concern is landscaping. Like every other complex in the world, our HOA fees pay for sweating men to lop, mow, and tidy. We are fortunate in having lots of bushes and trees, but the areas in front of some buildings are a bit sparse. Word has come from the great and mighty condo board (actually it’s 5 very nice people) that if buildings wish to add to the plantings, we have their okay as long as we choose plants native to Florida and take into account the sun/water needs. Anything needing any real maintenance won’t work either, since that would be additional to the already existing grounds contract.

          At the building next door is a gentleman who lives here year-round with his wife, and time appears to weigh heavily on his hands. He’s an ex-shop teacher and his car has never seen the inside of his garage since it’s full of table saws and tools.

          He embraced this new planting freedom with gusto, cranking out six clunky wood and metal planters, followed by another three, and plonking them complete with plants along the building’s entrance. Without consulting any of the other eleven tenants in the building. The first batch were, well, okay, but now with the three new ones the place is beginning to look fortified.

          I know for a fact that he’s hoping others in the complex are going to be filled with envy and pay him for planters for their buildings. Hoping to nip this in the bud, I sent an email to everyone in my building with a message all about consensus and planning together, etc.

          So far, I’ve received only one communication offering to pitch in for mulch.

          Phew.