14 Jul, 2007
The most kid-friendly garden in our ‘hood
Posted by andrea tomkins in: - Westboro|Easy ways to make kids happy|Misc. life|Photography
When the girls and I walk to the park (which is often) we pass lots of houses on the way. Out of all these houses there is one standout. It’s our favourite. In fact, when the girls were younger I had to leave an extra 10 minutes just so we could spend some time at this house. We still like to stop and stare, point and exclaim.
It’s not the house so much as the garden. From a horticultural perspective it is absolutely lovely. The garden looks like a postcard. It is perfectly cultivated, and there’s something flowering all year round. The girls appreciate the beauty of this, but the thing that’s caught their eye for so many years has been the DINOSAURS. Yes. There are dinosaurs in the garden. But they’re not the dangerous Jurassic Park type. They’re small, mostly made out of rubber or plastic. They peer out from under branches. They gather for meetings. Yesterday it looked like the dinosaurs were either worshipping a giant grasshopper or about to beat him up. And yes, sometimes they eat one another.
It’s a live-version of I Spy, that’s what it is.
What’s more, the dinosaurs are mysteriously rearranged whenever we pass by. A new scene always requires a little more “figuring.”
Hey, what’s that guy doing over there?
Do dinosaurs climb trees?
Mummy, it’s a PARADE !
What are they doing in the BIRDBATH???
A couple summers ago I asked the lady of the house who was moving them around. She told me that the neighborhood children did it. I was a little shocked. After all, I never let my kids tromp around her perfect-looking lawn. We always stood on the curb looking in. But she was okay with it, that is, as long as no one ventured into the flowerbeds.
From that day on we too joined in the play.
Sarah set this one up:
I liked these guys (click to enlarge):
This year, some hand painted signs appeared among the flowerbeds, asking children not to damage the flowers. But the dinosaurs are still there. The gardener could have easily banished them, but they remain and continue to make our walks – and our lives – a little bit more interesting.
Last summer we donated one of our own dinosaurs. I believe it was a Triceratops. We left him on the front step with a note of thanks.