Comments on: THIS GARDEN IS NOT SPECIAL – YOU ASKED FOR HONESTY, HERE IT COMES

By: Misti

Misti — Mon, 01 Jun 2015 07:20:54 +0000

Hah, well you made me feel better! I just had a baby in September and my husband was bearing the garden load for many months. Now I'm back in the saddle but a wet spring really created prolific weeds. Between work, a baby, other life stuff, the garden is definitely one that sometimes takes a back seat.

Oh well…

PS: I'm always oogling your garden photos! I think this is my first comment here, but I love reading.

By: john in cranston

john in cranston — Sun, 31 May 2015 17:20:47 +0000

Well… I don't have that mulch pile anymore.: I was there since last May, but I had to move it when I order 6 yds of compost. Necessity is the mother of… motivation?
My issue here are that how do I start a new project when all I have time for is the maintenance of the old ones? I too have yet to start the basil, zinnia, dahlias and else (it's okay, too dry anyway), never mind weed where they are to be sown.

Hey, I never new you you had a fountain!?!
any way, still looks terrific.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Wed, 27 May 2015 15:21:48 +0000

dear matt
you write such good columns!
you dealt head-on with the problem of being garden guru who is human! thank you.
i work to a fair standard in other peoples' gardens. I come home and cut corners after work and on weekends in my own. i find myself in triage mode from one end of the gardening season to the other– triage, triage, triage! there is so little time to do things really correctly and well.
before it can be laid what starts as a heap of mulch ends as a wide plateau, after hens start scratching. two JR terriers seldom kill chipmunks, voles, rats, but crash through garden beds stalking bumblebees.
my clients say "your garden must be so beautiful–when can i come visit?" words i do not want to hear.
still, considering the alternatives, having too much to do that one loves, instead of too little or nothing–how lucky can a person be?
my two cents: take the hornbeams down–to a height where at eye level they are thick enough to be effective. these are trees; eventually the tops will be up in the air creating shade and screening nothing.
all best,
~ 02568

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Wed, 27 May 2015 10:56:58 +0000

thanks for the "behind the curtain" peek! but alas, i still think your garden is special. lovely!

By: Unknown

Unknown — Wed, 27 May 2015 04:27:46 +0000

Good gravy I needed this post right now. We recently moved so I'm starting the garden all over from scratch. That, and the work being done on the house, makes the yard look like a disaster. Yup, I still have yards and yards of compost to distribute, seedlings to set out, paths to edge, beds to create. It goes on and on. You're not alone! We love it all anyways, though, don't we? 😉

By: Matt Mattus

Matt Mattus — Tue, 26 May 2015 20:38:49 +0000

In reply to Pauline.

Ha! Seriously though, I do these crazy things that add pressure to my life – such as ordering every zinnia variety that I could find, to sow a trial of zinnias – I have not even planted them yet, but I will plant some in early June as I prefer to sow zinnia's outdoors – but where will I raise them? I think I imagined that my garden, or growing spaces where much larger during the long winter. That said, it's probably a good thing that I don't have the resources and money that Martha Stewart had, or I would be a Hell of a boss! I'd be like " do this", "Now do that!" "I want that 2 acre peony garden weeded and NO MULCH all ready for the big garden party on Saturday"!. Good thing. Just consider yourself fortunate that I will never win the lottery!

By: www.ravenscourtgardens. com

www.ravenscourtgardens. com — Tue, 26 May 2015 19:08:24 +0000

Gardens are destinations, gardening is journey! How wonderful to have so much space to garden.And you have so many beautiful plants!

By: Pauline

Pauline — Tue, 26 May 2015 18:58:07 +0000

Such a funny post Matt, thanks for making me smile. Your calla lilies are beautiful though, I love calla lilies, and your greenhouse is a dream. You see imperfection, I see endless possibilities.
But really 65 zinnia's? What were you thinking!

By: JadeGreenImage

JadeGreenImage — Tue, 26 May 2015 16:33:13 +0000

It looks great and NORMAL. Anyone whose garden is perfect this time of year has way more time or way more HELP than most of us.

That feeling of being overwhelmed this time of year is so familiar to me, but I force myself to remember to enjoy the work (it's why we do it don't we?) rather than focus in the never ending list and more importantly to stop and enjoy what is good.

I too thought it was a great idea to grow 150 plants from seed this year (extra to the masses that I buy in spring and summer) because when I started, there were gaps in the borders – not so much now. What am I going to do with them? "There's always room for a plant" I tell myself.

Regards
Nick

By: Matt Mattus

Matt Mattus — Tue, 26 May 2015 01:25:32 +0000

In reply to Karen (Back Road Journal). Thank you, Karen.