Lovely Lanning Landings
Our first house in Lakewood was on Mars Avenue, and we had a wonderful front porch. On one end there was a wooden porch swing hanging from the ceiling. It was big enough to fit an adult and two kids, and I can remember gently rocking on the swing reading “Goodnight Moon” to my now 25-year-old daughter and 22-year-old son.
As I was walking down Lanning this morning I was taken back to that moment. I took a picture of one front porch that stood out. It had a rocking chair, brightly painted benches, a colorful rug and numerous flower baskets. A front porch like this can be an extension of the home and a place to create memories.
Before looking up Lanning on Google Maps, I must admit I didn’t know where the street was. It runs west off Alger just south of the split off from Warren Road. It ends at Mars Avenue, perhaps a sign that I was meant to have my Mars Avenue memory today.
At the corner of Lanning and Mars I also noticed some unusual foliage. There were several dozen stems probably 3-4 feet tall with softball sized puffballs on the top. After doing some research I found out they were Ornamental Onions known as Allium. Evidently, they have a purple-colored flower in the spring before they go to seed. I like the idea of the pungent smelling bulb buried in the dirt below creating something so beautiful and whimsical.
