It Wasn't Supposed to be Like This

When we moved here, I had made up my mind to make a real change in our lives. The gardens in Connecticut had gotten to be too much to maintain, and the lawn was too much for Jim, and we wanted LESS when we moved.

We wound up in a smaller house, no basement, no attic, and located in the city in a densely built community. We have a yard, but it is small, enclosed inside fences with lots of hardscape and patios, and there is no grass to mow. Perfect. There were mature shrubs and trees here, but mostly lots of rocks and gravel.

You'd think with all this hardscape there would be no room for gardens

Then I went and created gardens. And I re-created the work and effort and maintenance I had so wanted to escape. Sigh. I didn't just put in a big garden, I created lots of small diddly spaces, little areas separate from each other and all needing their own attention. And all difficult to water.

This little strip by the driveway -- it was just rocks when we moved in.

The effort here is watering, not weeding and edging and cutting back and controlling rampant growth that had overwhelmed me before. Now I'm overwhelmed with watering.

These sparkly red heucheras can be seen from inside and outside

Why did I create so many little spaces all separate and away from each other?

• Under the aspens in back is one whole garden. 
• Under the dining room windows is another. 
• Out by the front walk is a triangle with sedums, agastache, lavender and penstemons. 
• Along the bottom of the fence in back is another garden. 
• And a corner by the guest room window is planted up. 
• Oh, and the flowery space by the kitchen door that was supposed to be an herb garden but isn't. 
• And an area by the garage wall. 
• And a strip by the driveway. 
• And an area I can't figure out in the front yard where still tiny emerging xeric shrubs are supposed to fill in but need water until they do.
• Oh, I have lots of pots too, containers everywhere.

See what have I created?

Mexican Hats, ratibida, thrive with little water but need a lot to get established

Jim, soothing me as I complained while we drank wine in our beautiful back yard, said "it's just your nature coming out. You have to do this, You have to create spaces you can't maintain." He was so sweet. He was so right.

Along the wall, tucked in corners under the aspens, by the garage wall,
there isn't an odd or out of the way  space I didn't end up planting.

Well, it wasn't supposed to be like this. We were supposed to simplify everything when we moved here. Mostly we did -- smaller home, lower taxes, lower utility bills, fewer winter woes and easier living.

No empty back corner was left unplanted.

But the gardener who moved in here did not get the memo, and the result is a complex hodge podge of separate small gardens that demand a lot of attention. I do love it all.