Landscaping (or the Need for It)
It is absolutely sickening. Some areas of our county have become disgusting.
For example, some of the businesses in our town have trash in their parking lots and on the side of the building. Whatever happened to sweeping up the mess and making things look presentable? Some of the residents of the city have unkept buildings, plastic, trash and more trash lying around in their yards or on their driveways. You have to admit that the drive up and down the bluff is dangerous. It used to be a beautiful drive but now there is always a lot of trash alongside the highway. First time visitors to the area won’t get a very good impression of the city after seeing that.
Years ago, when friends or relatives who live in a subdivision would tell me they have to pay a HOA fee, that seemed outrageous. What is an HOA fee? A homeowner’s association fee is the amount of money that must be paid monthly by owners of certain types of residential properties. It typically covers landscaping, noise restrictions, pet maintenance, amenities like a swimming pool, fitness center, etc. It would be impossible for the city to charge residents an HOA fee but wouldn’t it be nice if each person just automatically kept their business or yard maintained or landscaped?
The comedian, Sinbad, said, in one of his stand-up comedy routines, when he was growing up, he mowed the yard every single Saturday whether it needed it or not. That’s what a person did on Saturday – mow their yard. It has been hard this summer to mow the yard every week due to the amount of rain we have had. The joke is, this summer a person can sit outside and watch the grass grow. And weeds tend to grow faster than the flowers. Not every person can afford to pay someone to mow or clean their yard. Lawn mowers can be found at garage sales and now would be a good time to purchase a lawn mower with all the sales going on.
Hats off to those men who mow the grass alongside the highways or in the actual city of La Grange. The landscaping around the city of La Grange welcome signs looks trimmed and manicured. It definitely makes a visitor take notice. The area around the Casino Hall is a real attraction. The parking lot is always clean and the flowers are a special colorful addition to the entire business. Special recognition to businesses around the square who put pot plants outside their door. It makes their entrance look welcoming and beautifies the town square. The landscaping around the dental offices are a special treat. The blooming flowers and trimmed areas add real class to the town.
It takes all of us to make sure that our county, town and communities are clean and presentable. First impressions are so important and that’s why we need to take pride in our place of business and home. We live in one of the best areas in the country so let us show other Texans and Americans why it is “the best” area.