Debris

If you go out the South Street gate of the Arb and cross over to Bussey Brook Meadow, you’ll find a version of the Arboretum unlike the rest of it. This section was added to the Arb in 1996, if I remember correctly, which is somehow something like 25 years ago. Unlike the bulk of the Arboretum, it’s managed as an “urban wild,” which I gather means very little in the way of maintenance, as this picture shows.

So it’s not the thoughtfully planted, research- and collection-oriented, almost manicured Arb that I am learning to love. Rather, it resembles the wooded areas around Boston, a bit haphazard and certainly not tidy. In some ways, while not as picturesque, it sure resembles real life - messy, filled with left-overs and broken things.

Generally I don’t like messes. But there’s something about the hit-or-miss that you find here that is appealing to me. And the contrast with the Arb across the street is striking.