08/31/2026
Nobody knows about the backyard.
From the street, it's a Greek Revival. Stately. Proper. Very House on Park.
But past the giant maple — our own gigantic umbrella — there's Mark's garden.
The brand new rust orange greenhouse. The stick fence. White mandevilla climbing the arch. Marigolds and zinnias along the outside.
Inside: a tripod bean pole. A 12 foot ladder reaching straight up to the sky — summer squash growing up it like it has somewhere to be. Cherry tomatoes in a 6 foot circle. Cucumbers, cucamelons, gourds climbing everything they can find.
On the ground: cantaloupe, pumpkins, watermelon. Peppers tucked in and around.
Every morning Mark is out there for at least three hours. Watering. Tying. Trimming.
At night the whole thing lights up. Solar lights throughout. The cherry tomato circle glowing. The bean pole. The greenhouse. The arch.
I'd love to be one of our backyard neighbors. They get the whole show.
Don't have to do a thing.
