Story about change: How a gardener changed the community

There once was a harmless street in the suburbs where no one took much care of their gardens. The lawns were overgrown, the weeds were taking over and the hedges desperately needed to be cut back. It looked unsightly, but when the neighbors looked at each other and their gardens and they just shrugged their shoulders and laughed.

It was all too hard, no one could be bothered making it better and because everyone’s garden was the same, no one felt compelled to change anything. Then the gardener moved in.

Bill was a tidy, hard-working little man who started working out on the front yard as soon as he moved into the street. He got the lawnmower out and gave the grass a good cut. Then he put his gloves on and pulled out all of the weeds. Finally, he brandished a large, shiny hedge trimmer and started shaping his hedges. Satisfied with his hours of hard work, the gardener went inside for a well-earned lemonade. Intrigued, the neighbors walked by and casually inspected the newly manicured garden.

At first, nothing changed, but over time, something interesting happened. One by one, the neighbors started to take more pride in their own gardens and the sounds of lawnmowers could once again be heard on a Saturday morning. After a few months, the street was transformed from a messy, unappealing collection of houses, to a beautifully cared for avenue that wouldn’t be out of place in a stylish magazine.