Pink Petunias

In the town where I teach, the main east-west thoroughfare and the main north-south thoroughfare are lined with big, bright pink petunias. Hand painted signs designate these highways as "Petunia Boulevard." There is no grass between the sidwalk and the street along these roads as the petunias have taken it's place. The petunias grow without pause for easily two-three miles in every direction. And these are really big, lush beds of petunias. Oddly enough, the rest of the town is rather non-descript. There is no great architecture, or beautiful park space. Just these miles of petunias. And where driving through the town makes me feel like I have happened upon Nowhere, USA, seeing the petunias, always makes me pause and smile.

I don't know who plants the petunias every spring. This summer, I did see a large water truck with a girl perched on the back directing a shower like hose at the petunias as they drove slowly up and down each side of the two main streets. Despite the drought here, those showers did the trick as the petunias are blooming still. I wonder also whose idea it was to plant the petunias in the first place. Who approved the money to buy the petunias every year? There must be thousands of them. Why pink? It strikes me as funny also that there is little other color anywhere in the town. All dust-covered green trees and gray concrete. Even the river is a muddy brown-gray. And in the midst of it all - rows and miles of bright pink petunias. I don't think I have a point to make here...just conveying this little oddity that is a part of my day.