It was a chilly start to spring this year.  I finally began cleaning up my flower beds in late April, pulling the weeds and picking up sticks and branches broken off the trees from the ice storm.

As the residents of Upper Milford Township rake winter’s dead leaves and branches from their flower beds, some will load them onto their truck beds or into trash bags to dump at the township’s yard waste site on Churchview Road.  When these piles of waste get high enough, the township crew grinds them into mulch for the residents’ use. Then, the trucks and cars return to the site to claim some of the mulch, taking it home to spread on their flower beds.

On a drive throughout the township, one can see this brown mulch piled neatly around lilies, primroses, tulips, irises, roses and more. The beauty of the yellows, oranges, reds, greens and blues is breathtaking. And as the different shapes and sizes of the flowers mingle together with all the different colors, the view is absolutely gorgeous.

But the beauty of those flower beds can also be destroyed in just one evening.  You may wake up one morning only to find the local animal life loves those flowers, too – for their midnight snack. The rabbits just adore my tulips … and mums … and roses. What they don’t eat, the chipmunks will eat – underground.  They like the bulbs. Sometimes, the deer and groundhogs visit flower beds in the neighborhood, too, making sure they get their fair share of these delicious treats.

I enjoy watching all the critters scampering and playing in the yard, but couldn’t they eat the weeds instead of my flowers? It would save us all time with weeding the flower beds, especially for those with arthritis and other physical ailments. I know the flowers probably taste better, but… come on… they’re my flowers! Or… what if they would develop a taste for grass; then we wouldn’t have to mow it – our critters could eat all the grass they want, when they want. I don’t think anybody would complain about that.

They could also try tasting the pale lavender, wild violets we have in the yard.  We have so many of them, that depending on how the sun is shining on the violets; it looks as though we have snow in our yard. At least it’s the kind of snow that needs no shoveling.

But in spite of the hungry animals, weeds, and mulching, having a garden is fun and enjoyable.

So as you travel the roads in Upper Milford, take a look around and enjoy the beautiful rainbow of colors in the freshly cleaned up and mulched flower gardens. You’ll be glad you did.