I like flowers as much as most guys. They’re easy on the eye. They smell good. And they make decent gifts in a pinch.  I like gardens which are chock full of flowers.  And when I drive, I’m often attentive to the gardens I pass.  Seeing them turns a simple ride into a botanic journey.  Now my definition of “garden” and yours may differ.  Mine is simply an aggregation of different flowers in an actual flower bed.  A few daffodils in a pot or a line of petunias along the driveway is nice but it doesn’t qualify.  I like gardens. . . . . .  

When I go to play golf, I often take a shortcut on an 11 block stretch of Keeler Avenue in Skokie.   As you might imagine, I have gotten to know the route, the stop signs and the cross streets.  And I have paid attention to the homes on Keeler as well.  For the most part, the homes are nice-looking, well-maintained and properly landscaped.   Many probably have gardens in the back yards where the owners can enjoy them.  But there are only seven gardens (by my count) in the front yards of that stretch of Keeler.  One is an uber garden which is quite beautiful.   And there are a couple wild natural gardens.  Many of the homes have a few flowers out in front which is good.  Some offer only grass and some bushes.  But those seven gardens make the ride pleasant and get me in the mood to whack the elusive white pellet.  It’s only when my golf ball gets lost in a flower bed or bushes that my enthusiasm for gardens diminishes. . . . . $%#&^X*! gardens. . . . .