In this garden everyone is welcome. After all, it’s only “my” garden on a piece of paper filed in some distant office, and when I’m weeding, pruning, planting, watering, mowing, or simply relaxing. The rest of the many hours of each day and night, year long, this space really belongs to dozens, possibly hundreds of two, four, six and eight legged neighbors. This space is bordered by a wall of shrubs silently reminding passersby that they need an invitation by me to enter, if you are human in being. All others are more than welcome to enjoy the pool of water in the “bird” bath as well as munch the seeds in the

feeder or scattered on the ground by other visitors. They may lounge in sun or shade, or nestle among the shrubs and perennials. My request to all whether human or other, is that they allow me to observe.

This “bird” bath the past twenty six years has quenched the thirst and bathed birds, squirrels, chipmunk, raccoons (It is a large sturdy bath for this reason), deer, and cats. And squawk as the birds may when a cat wanders the garden; they seem content in bathing when a furry feline is sleeping in the shade under the bath. The birds do not leave the feeder when deer feed on the ground scattered seeds just under. And our cat would often lounge in the middle of our walk while skunk foraged in our lawn (for grub?!). I was sternly barked at one late afternoon by a doe when I walked outside to take photographs of her. She was not upset with being photographed. She was voicing her dismay of my encroachment of our cat resting in the lawn.

I’ve learned many things the past twenty six years as homeowner with a garden. Many of these lessons have been through an unbiased (as possible) tolerance and observation of my “wild” neighbors that I choose to call friends. All are welcome here.