Ambling: “Front Yards”

The Amboy Ambler II is ambling again to observe our great city to make observation’s, glean knowledge and wisdom and make folks aware of our environment.  This time, the Ambler is looking at the front yards that abound in our city.  The Ambler started ambling on High Street where front yards are large and as the street name implies high. Many beautiful front yards exist here and on observation of one fine yards the Ambler heard an odd grunting sound behind him. It was a home owner struggling to take a huge garbage can down his yard and of course the Ambler helped him to the curb. I looked inside as garbage is of interest to me and it was empty then I saw the man and his wife carrying bags of garbage to put in the can. It seems our brand new garbage trucks cannot access the “Cobble Stone Road” or as we as kids called it “Gasoline Alley.” Therefore, the residents must carry the huge cans down or through their front yards to the street and as they may be lighter empty. They then carry their trash separately.  I asked the man how he could remedy this and he said he did not want to disturb his front yard with a cement path, etc. He said he wanted to keep his yard as nice as it was.  I asked him how he kept it that way and he said he had a service care for it weekly. As I ambled my way down the street I saw that many residents also had a service and the garbage problem. It was noted that some of the yards were in a sad state but I know not why.  Mowing a sloped lawn is not easy as I saw the professional landscapers doing the task. I asked one if it was practical and he said a beautiful lawn is a “Beautiful Thing.” Redundant but it is true.

As I ambled about I saw some yards that had broken fences and the yard behind it unkempt.  Observing the house, I saw several men leaving and I asked why the fence was broken, etc. The reply was: “I do not own the house – I just rent a room.” I ambled further to other areas of the city and observed a yard well-kept and the man was mowing and feeding his roses. I commented that his hard work resulted in a beautiful front yard. He thanked me and proceeded to work. Several weeks later he moved to Pennsylvania where his pension was not taxed.  New tenants arrived and took a machete and cut down the roses and flowers. Of course, I asked why and they said that too many bugs lived there. The next month, the infamous mountain of trash was in front and the residents were gone. The yard now is mowed by a bank. I guess, as it is just mowed on a weekly basis, but the for sale sign is still there.  The yard is alone now with nobody feeding it or planting – I feel sad for it as I amble by.

Some houses are surrounded by cement or macadam and have no green or soil at all (I thought this was illegal in Perth Amboy) but vestiges of front gardens appear around the streets with old roses and some perineal flowers struggling to survive exist.  There are some houses that have extensive gardens and make the neighborhood beautiful. One simple front yard was being weeded by a lady who said she was a Tennent but her landlord let her plant, “Don’t you just love flowers,” she said to me and I said “Yes,” and thanked her for her work. The Ambler wandered about other areas finding odd things such as cars parked on cement yards, no grass and upon asking why I was told the garage was made into a room and they had to park somewhere.  One house had cement front yard with several cars parked ether and in front. The garage was open and the Ambler ambled in, “Got a broken car?” the fellow in the garage asked and I said “nope” just ambling about, “What are you doing kind sir?” I asked. The fellow said, “Fixin’ cars.” I said I was just wondering why he did not have a lawn. “Waste of space,” he replied and I thanked him for his time.  Space and time are often the enemy. Ambling on I saw a yard unkempt and high as can be, filling up with dandelions. The man next door was mowing his lawn and I asked him if anyone lived in the house and he said “No.” I suggested he mow up the dandelions before they go to seed as they will fill up the neighborhood and he shrugged and said, “Not my lawn.”

As you can see, a pattern was forming and I felt very down until I saw a lady with no yard at all – just a parking lot but it was filled with flowers in various containers. I asked her if she owned the lot and she said, “No.” I said the lot was beautiful and she thanked me and said she loved looking at the flowers and looked forward to spring every year. As I said in the beginning, wisdom can be gleaned in our city. The lady looked at me and said, “We do not own any property. We only take care of it and I feel everybody should respect their neighborhoods and the people that live there and the earth we live in.” The Ambler was crying when he said “God bless you.”  and ambled on feeling there is hope in this world.

The Amboy Ambler II