I have always been fascinated by the strangeness and beauty of the manicured yards, lawns, and hedges of the homes in the neighborhood where I grew up. I put flyers in each mailbox on Lansford Avenue in San Jose, California to announce my artist-in-residency there. As their artist-in-residence, I let neighbors know that I might change some things in their front yards and that I would use only what was already there and would not be destructive. For the most part, my self-appointed status was welcomed—while re-arranging yards, passersby asked if I was the artist-in-residence and residents sent kind notes and emails. One neighbor responded by making a pattern with leaves on his lawn. I wanted the surprise of the changes to generate an opportunity for neighbors to look closer at their environments
