Note: this post has some adult-type themes.

Finally repaired my fence yesterday. It was a pretty labor-intensive little task–I had to dig a new post hole, and then attach fencing. I still have kind of a lousy gate, which I’ve got to do something about, but the fence problem’s been around since last summer, when someone basically pushed one of my posts over to get into my garden for an amorous liaison.

Speaking of. There was another fire in the phragmites while I was working in my garden. Phragmites is the tall “grass” that grows on the edge of the Muddy River. It’s an invasive species and very hard to control. There are “controlled burnings” on occasion, and then there are the, er, uncontrolled burnings, like yesterday. Sometimes it’s people hanging out there, smoking cigarettes—especially when it’s as dry as it has been, and sometimes it’s somebody who sets a fire on purpose, for whatever reason.

Love it or hate it, the phragmites is probably the most popular place in the park. It can get to be ten-twelve feet high, and there are lots of little nooks and crannies where people can meet. And where that’s the case, there’s lots of drugs and sex. Care for some crystal and a blowjob? This is the place!

And this goes on 24-7 this time of year. You’ll always see people milling around down by the Muddy River. Men, of course. It’s a guy thing. And at night, the Fens becomes a different place entirely, and the gardens provide a perfect setting for lovers–or, if not lovers, exactly, at least suckers, blowers, lickers, and fuckers.

Most gardeners in the Fens know what they’re in for. Like I said, most employ some minimal deterrent, like climbing roses—I also planted a couple of those along my new fence yesterday. But the truth is, nothing’s fool-proof, and you can’t obsess over nocturnal garden invasions. It’s gonna happen. All you can hope for is that they’ll be gentle.

4/29/06

Categories: Urban Gardening Strategies, garden snapshots