Stuffed and Jumbled

I am drawn to lush, jumbled stuffed styles of gardens. When I plant my garden, though, I default to an uncluttered, structured design. I am forever having to reconcile what I like with what I am comfortable with.

This is how I think I want my garden to look  . . . 

Greenery surrounds a tucked-in sitting area with pillows, los of pots scattered around and a jumble of colorful plants. All under draping vines on a pergola.

But when I plan out what I want my own garden to be, it is designed with structure, open areas, carefully placed specimens, and tidy plant compositions. 

It's spring. I want so much to add, add, add -- get lots of things and make a lusher pastiche of plants all growing together. I want fullness and less tidiness.

But I also want to edit down, keep things simpler, tend fewer things and keep the feel open with a view of sky. Which do I want??

I like this picture I found which looks like my space, long and narrow with a stone path running the length to a gate and a stucco wall at the end. It's simple but full. 

I like that the chairs are out in the garden, not separately arranged on a patio or placed on a deck looking out at the garden. I like the balance of stones and mixed tangles of plants, without the fussiness or floral overload of bohemian style.

I'm not there yet in my own garden. I have a lot going on but it's stiffly placed plants and arranged structures.

I add and plant and buy more pots and move things about, and each year the whole scene gets closer to what I think I want. Then I edit it down, remove what's too much and streamline what's fussy. Back and forth I go.

I'll keep working on it.