Utah was way ahead of the trend. People here have been growing vegetable gardens for longer than they have been growing flowers. Actually, the whole flower garden hasn’t caught on that much. Most landscapes are lawn, a few lollipop shrubs, and the vegetable plot in a forgotten corner. Seeing a garden filled with flowers (petunias don’t count, and neither do professional landscapes that all look the same) is a rare and pleasant experience.

So, people around here grow their vegetables so much so that when I say “garden” people automatically assume I am talking about growing vegetables. It annoys me. A garden is much more than vegetables! It can include grass, flowers, trees, shrubs and whatever other plant you feel like. (Although I do have to admit that lawn and lollipop shrubs don’t count as a garden.) I wish people would start looking at their landscapes and actually see potential for beauty. A landscape can be a rough canvas for a myriad of colors and textures. Most landscape around here could use a lot less mowing and changing that term “garden” to include flowers.