A quiet Sunday morning in The Tropical Paradise

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Most people don't associate gardens with noise, and it wasn't until I got an email from someone who was described as "The Quiet Gardener" that I began to understand the connection between garden design and noise.

It's wonderfully quiet this Sunday morning here at The Tropical Paradise, but pretty soon the noise will start. On the weekends in suburbia, we have come to expect this. But hopefully times will change. Please let me explain.

A garden, by definition, is a bit of tamed ground. That is, it takes some care and maintenance. And the plants that you choose define the amount of noise that you will need to create to maintain it. Of course, the worst culprit is a lawn. The roar of lawnmowers, whether gasoline, or electric, is one of the loudest noises that reverberates through a quiet suburban neighborhood. Following closely after that are bushes that require the kind of harsh treatment that only a power hedge-trimmer can provide. I hope that you see the pattern.

No, I'm not suggesting that you go on a rampage against people having the type of plants that require this noisy maintenance. But you can lead by example. This is what I suggest.

• Get rid of your grass. I put in the artificial turf six years ago and it looks great. Have it professionally installed. Then give away your lawn mower.

• Don't have bushes that require power hedge-trimmers to maintain. You know the type I mean - the ones that are trimmed into "pom-pom" shapes.

And please don't give up and just have rocks, cactus and concrete. Gardens are wonderful places that enrich our lives and beautify our neighborhoods. A quiet garden can be achieved - just consider how noisy it will be to maintain your garden when you select plants. No, I never thought of this before, but on a quiet Sunday morning like this, I am thinking of it now.

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