Garden Envy

I just had to share. I love my garden, but once in awhile, I love other gardens more... I went on a lengthy walk last night. I used to walk every day, but have since lost the mojo required to do it, (and it reflects on the scale and in my clothes, just FYI). I tried walking last night, and was delighted to see I could still make it on the nearly 3 mile trek I once breezed through. The motivating factor are the gardens on the roads I walk. I had not been to that edge of town since spring, and I wanted to see what was blooming over yonder.

There are a few nice gardens in town, some more well tended than others, but there's one immaculate, super human garden I envy deeply. I love the house, too, which makes matters worse. In the 4 years I've lived in town I've watched this garden grow. I think it was relatively new when I first spied it, as the plants seemed young, and I seem to remember watching some of it get planted. I'm 29 years old, and have been gardening in my own real yard for only 4 years now. I have no formal training, and I'm the queen of impulse. This garden is the opposite of mine, yet it seems to achieve the kind of look I'd love to have in my yard.

First, they have no lawn left. After my kids are grown, if I'm still stuck on a suburban lot, I'm likely to have little grass left, too. Second, they have adequately spaced everything out and the plants have aged and grown proportionately. I, on the other hand, crowd everything in, never allowing plants room to stretch and reach their full potential. Third, they have consistent red rock type ground cover. I can't seem to keep a nice ground cover, even a mulch in place. Finally, they seem to have had help of the professional sort, as each plants height and and depth are so well thought out it's down right dreamy.

Additionally, I somehow overlooked how many roses there are in this enviable garden? How did I not see them before? They're all massive, and well-established, so I know they're not new. They made my roses look puny at best. I know, good things come to those who wait, but I've mentioned, I'm the least patient gardener there is around. For sure. Many of my roses will never be this big, as I've simply not given them the room to be. I almost wanted to come home and dig up everything around each rose... (see, impulsive to a fault).

I tell you, spending some nice time gazing at their garden last night had me dying to get home and dig everything up and stretch it all out, clear more grass, add mulch, you know, re landscape my whole nearly one acre plot. I don't want to move everything, but there are some things I don't like about my garden right now, and given the 90 degree days, upcoming vacation, and pending winter I should, no, can not dig and move too much. I can't even prep new bed space b/c we're so dry lately the ground is hard as, well, clay. Don't get me wrong, I move things all the time, fearlessly, but I know I'll not be here much in the coming weeks to keep transplants well watered and tended to. Argh.

I fear this winter will find me planning lengthy moves, expanded beds, and simply more health for my plants. I see more drifts of one variety, more planning, and not-so-haphazard planting. I just feel so helpless not being able to start right now, but I guess that's part of my problem... not waiting, not planning.

Edited:
So, here I'm having these restless emotions about my garden, and I open up April 2007 Country Living to find this quotation in an article about a garden, "One of the greatest things about gardening is that it's never done." Exactly. My feelings from just a few hours ago amount to me having a truly great problem: ideas, and plans, and a never ending passion for improving and loving my garden.