A few days ago, some workers showed up at my neighbors’ house. Among other things, they cleaned their garden and side walk with leaf blowers.
In one small segment at the end of a long stretch on the side of their house, our two outdoor spaces are connected. There’s a hedge separating our patio from their garden, but it’s rather thin, and you can see through it most of the year.
As it turns out, you can also blow leaves straight onto our patio. “Fwooooo,” the leaf blower went, and by the time the gardeners left satisfied, the back of my house looked like a squirrel playground after the annual acorn festival. “Great,” I thought, “now I’ll have to sweep this entire area.”
I was busy at work the next few days, so I didn’t get to it. On the weekend, I peered out, ready to assess the damage. To my surprise, there was barely any. “Wait a minute. Where did all the leaves go?” There were still a few loose pieces of bark flying about, but all of nature’s shed skin from the fall? Gone.
Eventually, I remembered why: It had been windy all week. Little by little, Aeolus and friends had done most of the work for me.
Even when you’re not present enough to consciously decide to do it, waiting and seeing often works. The wind won’t always do your gardening for you, but if the puzzle is already in a state of confusion, you might as well shake the box and see if at least some parts will fall into place.
