Answering Kim's question about what I appreciate in other gardens but Not In My Garden...
A beautiful green lawn. I need some open space for the day care children to run but I am unable/unwilling to do what is needed to make it meet most people's standards for beautiful. I use organic lawn food sparingly and water when necessary but the kids need to play there and it can't be wet all the time!
A pomegranate tree or in ground lemon or lime trees. I've got a lemon and a lime in pots (and one tiny variegated lemon in the ground that almost got zapped by last year's freeze so is still about 18 inches tall) but just don't have the space for any of these to grow to full size in the ground. I wish! I don't have space for a fig tree either but I'm looking for a particular type (Black Jack) that I've heard is easier to keep small and can be espaliered...it could work!
Most roses. Again, I'm unwilling/unable to do what it takes to make them look good. A few climbers and miniatures are all I'll attempt.
Lots of hardscape. I change my mind too often to make anything too permanent...movable bricks, stones, etc. are all I can commit to.
Plants that are formally pruned. I complain about all the pruning I do but as long as the result isn't smooth I can live with it. I like the natural look and am not too good at things requiring precision.
Orange. At some important developmental stage I saw too many subdivision yards landscaped with orange gazanias and it somehow put me off all orange flowers. Yellow used to be part of this aversion but I have relented on some soft yellow colors...maybe someday I'll embrace orange! Nah...
A total xeriscape yard. There are lots of great xeriscape gardens but I wouldn't want to live in one.
It's all about what feels right to each of us...gardening/blogs/parks/books etc. would sure be boring if all gardens were exactly the same. What would we do for fun if every garden we visited was the same as ours? This way we can appreciate someone else's style but not have to look at it all the time!
