Why is everyone else's garden better than mine?

We have places to sit around the garden and how often do we use them? Rarely (and then usually the Swing seat because Bill our cat loves a swing and drags me there and we swing until he gets fed up).
I also think one tends to be far more critical of one's own space than of other peoples. I walk round here and end up with a huge handful of weeds and mental notes on what needs doing, whereas when I visit a friends garden I only see the lovely plants and nice design.
Mind, I will say that we have stopped going round gardens in the Yellow Book in this area as we were so disappointed with all the ones we went to, none of which were as good as ours. Not our opinion alone, we had visitors who are regular garden visitors who told us that ours was far better than any they had been to.
I think also you have to ask yourself why you garden. Is to create a perfect outdoor area or to make the house surroundings look good or just for something to do?

 

I still haven't built a seating area, or even have any decent chairs to sit on yet. For the last 18 months we've been sharing a seat on the old water butt stand, which has only just made it's way to the dump recently.

 

I do have 2 seats in my garden. How many times have I sat on either?... from memory about twice, both times in an attempt to get thorns out of my fingers! So flaming busy battling I seldom actually sit down!Unless you have a sensible and easily managed size of garden I don't know many true gardeners who do actually sit down in theirs, for any length of time anyway. It's a bit like meeting someone who says they are a passionate gardener and then you see they are sporting long perfectly manicured nails.............nayyyyyyyyyhhhhhhhhhhh!

 

A seating area was the first thing in my garden ! The main purpose of a garden is to sit in and enjoy with a glass of wine or a chilled beer and watch the sun go down.

 

I have various places around the garden where I like to sit and relax.
The trouble is, as I sit there with my cup of tea, I look around and constantly spot things that need doing.
No sooner have I sat down, then I'll spot a weed poking its head out from amongst the flowers, or a slightly leaning plant which needs staking and tying, or Mrs Trunky striding purposefully down the garden with that 'why's he sitting there doing nothing?' look on her face....
....and before long I'm up and doing things again.

 

The only time I sit down in the garden is in my head, when armandii puts pics up of his arbor and wine.

 

Clueless, don't give up, gardening is not instant, it takes lots of time and plants need years to mature.

Changing and developing a garden is part of what makes it interesting, so don't stop doing it.

I am impressed with the list of what you have done in 3 years, what energy you have.

I didn't have a decent seating area until fairly recently, and I spend about 2 minutes a week, on average, sitting in it!

 

I'm not giving up, just re-evaluating my self imposed rules. My next project/expenditure is going to be to sort out somewhere to sit

 

According to my nails, I am the proud owner of Kew Gardens.

 

Clueless: I think you "think" too much about your garden. Don't keep worrying; just keep gardening.

Silu. As I'm male I don't have long manicured fingernails but I ALWAYS wear gloves gardening. I have special ones that are like yellow sandpaper on the outside and have short fluffiness on the inside. Perfect for gardening. I get them wholesale from a works safety supplier who happens to live next door.

 

I was going to remark then when I saw this thread that you haven't seen my garden. In terms of design and planting, I would say my garden is the worst of the worst (I only post photo of part of the garden which is ok - the other parts are hideous, and cannot be worked with). .. We do have a seating area though.

 

I hardly ever use the bum resters in my garden, others do, but not me. I'd rather potter around. Clue, the garden I inherited in this house was by far the worst of the worst I'd seen, i didnt know where the hell to start at first!

Stick with it, and stick some piccies up!

 

From the recent postings it looks like it's the male gardeners who don the "marigolds" and us females who could grow spuds under our nails...what's left of them. I just don't like wearing gloves when I garden as it doesn't feel right, perhaps it's sort of similar to males not being keen to cover a certain part of their anatomy on particular occasions, as the sensation is affected so I'm told...whoopps better not elaborate!

 

I know what you mean. I like to drive in bare feet, otherwise my feet get too hot.