A Room with a View

Over the years the view from the rear of our house has changed. I still like it but it has decidedly taken a turn for the less picturesque over these many years.

Old, gorgeous trees have been cut down, well-grown shrubs and roses ripped out, odd extensions added to houses, well-grown Virginia creeper removed from walls after years of growth (does not damage walls like English ivy), and these later years, more and more, decks have been built. Luckily, some homeowners have planted new trees but these have not yet filled in the visual gaps that the old trees used to fill.

For me, many of these changes have uglified the yards for the homeowners and, ultimately our view. Plus, each time a well-grown tree is cut down, especially a pine, it seems there’s that much less habitat for birds. With the turn-over we’ve seen these last years, it seems each time new owners moves in, they want to put their stamp on the garden with often insensitive, deleterious effects.

I’d love to know if anyone reading this has ever organized an “inner block” association?…not a regular block association where you work with your streetside neighbors. I’m talking about an association of homeowners and apartment dwellers who live on the four different streets that surround an actual “block”.

If you have done this, please share details on how you reached out to your neighbors all around the block. Did you create a flier or go door-to-door in person? Has anyone tried this and “failed”? Has anyone thought about doing this but not bothered?

Disclaimer: The photograph above is NOT our view but I’m sure you figured that out! It’s the view from a friend’s house on the Riviera. I thought it might add some cheeriness to this dreary weather we’re having! Why can’t we transplant some of that Mediterranean sunshine and loveliness? Oh well!