American author Christopher Morley once said “all cities are beautiful, but the beauty is grim”. When the beauty of nature is compared with that of a city there is {at least in my opinion} a clear winner. The monotony of colorless living can be exhausting. Yet there are those who would try to bring a bit of green into the long expanses of concrete and canopies of steel and mortar. They battle sidewalks, stop lights, and tightly cramped buildings to bring all things green and growing a little closer than the nearest park or tree lined street. And in the battle to bring life to the concrete jungles of the world they are the first line of defense.
Small garden shops or booths are welcome sights in large cities. Their contents spill out onto sidewalks providing the shocking contrast of color amidst various shades of grey. I found this especially refreshing while in Paris. Near the Notre Dame Cathedral my husband and I stumbled across a small garden market. The sudden burst of color in the city reminded me of seeing the first blossoms after a long and gray winter. The importance of green became even more pronounced as I watched a small Parisian woman struggle to get on the bus with a three foot tall climbing rose, battling thorny tendrils and a five gallon pot on public transportation. It’s a different kind of green living, and it’s being green in the most basic way. So grab a brand-new houseplant, or find another container to fill with blooming annuals,because you can’t have enough green.
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