In the Soviet Union, one of the most recognizable details of almost every courtyard was flower beds made from old car tires. One evening I came home from work and saw a few men from our building standing near the entrance talking about how empty and gray our yard looked. That weekend we gathered in a garage, brought old tires, painted them in bright colors, and turned them into flower beds. By spring our courtyard was full of colorful tire planters and suddenly the whole place felt much more ali