Urban Green Spaces

I am a country girl living in a city world. I grew up country and still have family in the country, so I can easily go back anytime. Unfortunately, they are not any closer than a 2+ hour drive. When I was a kid, it was easy to go spend the summer and school holidays with family in the country. Then in high school it stopped being so easy when I had a job and was all into school spirit attending every sporting event my school had. As an adult it really stopped being easy because my days off were not weekends when country family was off, and some times I did not even have a day off because I was working 3 jobs to stay alive at 18-19 years old. That and partying was super important at that time. When I was a kid, I has a spot on the well house to sit, a favorite climbing tree, the orchard to run through, the pasture to fly a kite in or lay in and watch the clouds, the creek to play in, a porch swing to watch the chickens peck the ground or chase lizard from, and a garden to dig in. Don't get me wrong, I do not want to live in the country. I like having access to grocery and restaurant delivery, books stores, the mall, movie theaters, concert venues, and Goodwill for the occasional good find plus water bottles the kids need for school and lose faster than the dryer eats socks or the Tupperware lids disappearing. Even most small towns can't give you that. You still have to drive at least 30mins away if not farther. I also don't like critters, but that is a story for another time. I love living in the city. As a kid I never wanted to leave it. Now that I am getting older, I feel like I need the uncompromised green space in my life. I can't grow a plant to save my life, but in the last several years I have tried really hard. I can grow humans like a champ, but when it comes to plants, you might as well mark it death date on the calendar. I really don't know how that is possible. My mom is great with plants, my country Aunt, Grandpa's, Grandma's, and even some cousins all can grow plants. Not just house plants, but produce gardens, orchards, beautiful rose bushed, vining morning glories, and so much more. I even grew up helping take care of all these plants, but sadly, I did not get the green thumb. Ri and I tried some succulents last year. We completely forgot about them when we got the first good freeze of the season. 2 were already black, but 2 looked like they might pull through. We got them watered, warmed up, and in the window for sun. Then even though they were in Ri's room and he walked by them everyday, we both forgot to water them all winter long. When people say "oh get a succulent, they are hardy and hard to kill" I say bullshit or I am just that bad of a plant mom because they all 4 died. I had even given them names. That's how serious I was about it. The one that died before that was not my fault. The dog peed in the pot several times and then the other dog nibbled on it a little too much. That is also for another story. So is the story about the time I killed the fish and cried. Clearly there is more to come.

Being in the city makes me happy, but does not give much in the way of options for embracing green spaces when you feel like you need them. Not to mention trying to find time to locate and enjoy them when you have 3 kids, one of which is in band. Let me get an AMEN from you band moms. Also, another story of 20 for that whole mess. Yesterdays social posts were about taking nature workshops or classes to learn a nature ish skill such as gardening, urban forging, or nature photography. Clearly, gardening is not something I can do. I could do nature photography within reason. Not big on critters, but birds, water, and flowers could be ok. Maybe the sun and moon as well. I am relatively fine with barnyard animals too, but once again, where do I find those in the city? I am intrigued by the Urban Forging. I have never heard of this before.

This is what I found about Urban Forging: Urban foraging refers to the act of gathering or harvesting edible plants and other natural resources from urban areas, such as parks, abandoned lots, and gardens. It involves finding and utilizing wild or cultivated food sources within the city environment. Urban foragers may collect fruits, nuts, berries, herbs, mushrooms, and other edible plants that grow spontaneously or are intentionally planted in urban settings.

The practice of urban foraging has gained popularity in recent years as a way to reconnect with nature, reduce food waste, promote sustainability, and explore the local environment. It can be seen as a form of sustainable living and a means of accessing fresh, organic food in urban settings where green spaces exist. However, it's essential to exercise caution and proper identification skills when foraging to ensure the safety and legality of the plants and resources being gathered.

This still sound interesting, but also a little unsafe, and could you imagine how you look to joggers in the park while harvesting random plants from the area. Also, we have a lot of stray dogs and cats and an abundance of deer in our city area. This may be the mom in me, but that stuff gets peed and pooped on, and the normal city pollution gets on them, as well as pesticides used to control bugs. I think I need to attend a class on this to understand it better. Really, I just want a shade tree in the middle of that pretty green soft grass we used to roll in as kids to read a book. Now that I think about it, we have a rather large homeless population here. It would be helpful for them to be offered some free urban forging workshops. I would rather let a homeless person, reap the benefits of this sort of urban green space engagement.

As always, play well with others, no running with scissors, make good choices, and have a great day! I love you!