Hi Mary!
I too have had large gardens and smallish gardens - When we moved to Charlotte last year, my husband talked me into scaling back and getting a smaller lot. Although, I am enjoying renovating this smaller yard, and exploring the world of shade plants, I can see I will be frustrated within a short time. The problem will be that the yard is really too small and shady to plant the things I am already starting to miss - fruit trees, big roses, vegitables, and all those full sun border plants. So, think about what you really enjoy growing and find a place that will accomodate that! If you are into woodland gardens - you shouldn't have too much trouble, there are a jillion trees already here!
Eliz. in Eliz.

I can only speak to small. We moved into our 1st house March 2006. When we were house hunting I wanted a large yard. DH wanted a small yard. We have a small yard. It is manageable but there isn't near enough room for planting everything I want to. No room for trees or large shrubs which make the best background.

Aside from that we have children who want a pool and room to play plus we have pets. That small yard gets even smaller when you have divide it out that way.

DH & I are now hoping for the real estate market to take an upswing again so we can buy that house with the big yard. He admits he made a mistake.

Mary, think of this first. Do you garden for the passerby to view or do you garden for yourself and your guests to wander through and visually enjoy (back and side yards)?

Have you learned anything about the Carolina climate yet as well as the types of soil and what it takes to amend them to grow what you want?

Do you have growing children and pets who will use the yard?
Are you a private person who likes to garden for your own enjoyment or are you 'creating scenery' for guests to view?

I prefer a series of gardens rather than large expanses of flowers. I prefer blending perennials with annuals and interesting shrubs into vignettes or garden rooms.
In the hot South, you'll appreciate having more room for gardening on the East and North sides although trees and shrubs well placed make West and South gardens more adaptable for various plants.
Abandoning a few smaller planting areas is easier to do than starting and giving up on a large garden area when you're ill or simply too busy to tend it.
I think it's more interesting for your guests to walk around the house and see spots of plants and color than to concentrate your energy making big front gardens that require lots of attention and care. Having smaller gardens on each side of the house gives you places to try plants and relocate plants that didn't like their original positions.
If I had to do this yard over, at least selecting a yard to build on, I'd get one that slopes upward on the North side rather than downward because there's lots of planting area not really viewable.

A large woodland expanse here wouldn't be too much work, or any work at all, if only because the trees suck up a lot of moisture. All depends on how strict you are about neatness, and how many flowers you want. If you wanted a lot of flowers an irrigation system would cut down on the work immeasureably.

I have a large garden now, most of it in full sun. Some parts of it were put in out of self-defense in areas that were going to be hard to mow and weedwack. It's some work keeping everything in line but it's less work than mowing those areas every week. The most irritating thing I have to deal with in the past are rude guests (=in-laws ha) who see one clump of weeds that I missed and harp about it. I keep the gardens right next to the house neat, but I have to let the rest of it go a little bit. Otherwise the garden would be all work and no enjoyment.

People have such ingrained ideas about landscape (I'm not saying you do, but people in general), and how it should be neat. Even DH. DH and I were walking up the driveway one day and he said he really should weedwack the stuff growing next to the driveway -- stuff that I'd been trying to bring back since he'd mowed it down and eliminated it a few years back -- blue lobelia, gerardia, meadow beauty, bidens... The plants stayed after I pointed out to him what they were. He said oh yeah, you think it's just weeds, and then a month later there's flowers everywhere. The same with the ditches next to the pastures -- we weedwack them once or twice a year to keep the woody plants down, but I like to let the bidens grow up during the summer -- if we get enough rain they are spectacular in Sept. DH doesn't really like that practice (except during the month that the bidens are blooming), but it's less work, the insects love it, the bees love it, and I love it.

Dottie, you bring up some great questions and thoughts.
It is a question to ponder though. I have a large yard but only garden in the back. The front, I still have to maintain shrubs. I have a fierce love of roses and anything else that grows. What I garden now is a bit much as far as weeds, etc. but I love flowering shrubs and have to have those and a variety of others. Dreaming of a yard person part-time. I don't think I would be as satisfied with smaller garden space.

Carla

It really depends on what type of plants you want AND your personality. Since I am into natives, I have lots of woodland areas which, when new, required weeding but now are easy care. I don't have much sun, and my grassy area is old farm fields, which we do cut, but there is no maintenance. When I was moaning last year about getting too old to give the little bit of care I do give, a friend just told me I needed to "lower my expectations", i.e., don't worry about weeds. After all, the plants are for me. If you are in a subdivision, you do have to follow rules of care, but I am in the country, so I can do what I want...and what I want is large areas that resemble a somewhat cared for state park. I have friends who have wonderful, very neat gardens, and I enjoy them, too, but I know I cannot and will not spend the time needed for that result. I am enjoying what I can handle and would miss my daily roaming around if I had a smaller yard. To each his own.

I have had both. I have to say that my current large yard is a lot of work. I can't decide if it is because it is so new and I am still trying to plant everything, or if it will always be a lot of work. I love being able to have different rooms. Having said that, I have seen many small gardens that are packed with lovely shrubs and other flowering plants. One stop on a garden tour last year had a back yard that was maybe 100x50 feet and had a greenhouse, water feature 2 or 3 seating areas, large trees, small trees, loads of hydrangeas and many container plantings. It was lovely. I think a small lot can house many plants, just focus on layering with vines, containers and groundcovers. In some ways it may be easier to get a full, lush look in a smaller space.

We have 4.2 acres, but since most of it is wooded, the actual garden space is not that big. It's pretty much perfect for me since I can "garden" in as much as I want and leave the rest to nature, but still have the privacy I want. A 1/4 acre city lot would probably drive me bonkers. The only time a larger garden area really becomes burdensome to me is when we have a drought (like now). Since we don't have an irrigation system, watering everything is a pain!
Dana

My last yard was a postage stamp size city garden. It was clay soil and I had every last inch planted. It was a jungle and need weekly cutting back and pulling up of weeds. I spent my weekends in the gardens and nights home from work watering during the summer months. Now I have three acres with many gardens. I garden in sand so it is definately not a jungle. My weekends are spent the same as with the small yard. If I really wanted to travel or do something else with my time I would. This is what I choose to do with my free time so nothing has really changed for me. Adele

I've lived in the country on many acres but was so poor I could barely keep any corner of it taken care of. Now I live in the center of town on a wooded lot thats just over an acre but most of it is trees, so my garden is pretty small. I like the way my yard looks and I like that it consumes most of my time (no time to watch tv) but I wish I had a bit more sun and room for chickens or livestock. I really miss having animals most of all but I work two jobs and don't really have the time.

I think that over time I will change my "wants" concerning the yard.

It's all about the time that you have available and how you spend it. I would like to spend more time caring for my gardens, but I'm lucky if I get the time to water as I should. I have a 2 yr-old and a 3 yr-old, so they take up my time, as they should, believe me I'm not complaining. I have almost 3 acres of land, with at least 2 of it devoted to the woods. At some point, I'd like all of my yard that is planted to look nice, but right now, I'm concentrating on the area by my driveway, most of which I can see from my kitchen window. My husband mows the grass in front, but other than that, I don't do anything to the front of the house. I weeded it in the beginning of spring and it looked wonderful, but now it is covered in weeds and I really don't have any inclination to do it again.
I have to say when I went away last weekend, I did feel it was a large burden to ask someone else to water my plants. I have so many, and I know it took my friend at least an hour to water everything, and some of my most recent plants were missed because I planted them in the woods as a screen to try and prevent all of the autumn leaves from falling into my garden. I know, it's a fantasy that the new shrubs will prevent the leaves, but even if they hold back a few that's a few less that I have to rake :)

I am also worried about going away during the summer because I know my flowers will suffer. I know if I had a smaller yard, with less plantings, I wouldn't feel so guilty when I ask someone else to look after my plants. But even if a few don't make it, I don't think I'd do anything differently. I loved ordering or buying all my plants. I loved planting them and watering them and caring for them while they were here. And I know I'll love the challenge of trying to bring some plants back from the brink so to speak, if I do go away.

I've lived in my house for almost 2 years, and I know it looks better than it ever did before. In a few years, my girls will be a bit older and I'll have more time to dedicate to my gardens. I think I'll be thrilled to have the large yard when the time comes. For now, it's a bit of a burden, but I choose to only work on the parts that satisfy me, and turn a blind eye to the weeds over there. (Kinda like the dust bunnies I have under my couch LOL!!)

I do have it to do over again- we're moving to 7 acres in upstate SC in a couple years! Our very small lot in FL is intensively gardened, and it's a lot of work. Since we live in a subdivision of 1/6 acre lots, there is a lot of pressure to keep the lawn and garden pristine. Once we get out in the woods, I plan to naturalize as much as I can, meaning that, once established, I'm not going to do a lot of work. Any lawn area will only get groomed by a riding mower- the blower, weedeater, and edger are being left behind! The only garden I plan to 'work' will be fruits and vegetables, and a water garden, if I can work it into our hillside. I love our water garden in FL, and it is pretty low maintenance.

This was a really good idea for a thread topic! It's giving members an opportunity to describe what they're doing with their yard and why and what they'd like to do with gardens in the future.

Yes, Dottie--I think I'm really glad I posted it. I have been thinking about this alot lately.

We moved here in November-- from Fargo ND--where I lived in a rented house in a new area for one year, surrounded by praiire, and had a small semicircle garden that I put in front of my patio and enjoyed immensley-as it had birds and flowers and tomatos-- not many breeds of birds, but every non sparrow was a major event. ;) (including the little bunch of prairie chickens that made a treck across the lawn one sunday morning.

I moved to Fargo from Menomonie Falls WI where I had a small bit of garden that I put around the back door of my rented house where sparrows came to my feeders and nothing else. I also enjoyed this garden which I could see as I sipped my morning coffee in the kitchen.

I moved to Menomonie falls from what had been my 'dream house' with 7 acres (about 5 wooded) on a private road in Vernon WI--which was bascially the opposite side of Waukesha as Menom. Falls. I had many birds, shade gardens, woodsy gardens, wrap around decks lined with beds full of peonies and iris and etc....
We sold the house when my hubby lost his job.

But-- here is where I am now--in a new subdivision on the West side of Charlotte, near the airport and not too far from what I am told is the cities worst schools.

I have a small yard that backs up to woods that lead down to what I think must be forest lawn cemetary and some sort of park.

I'm in a definately multi-cultural neighborhood in which I am in the minority. But I get along with all my neighbors although I think some of their habits are not really things I quite 'get'. The neighbor kids call me 'miss mary' and my hubby 'mr jeff' and they come around to see the garden and learn about birds and use my colored pencils to make drawings.

Its total bliss here in the morning when most folks are in their houses. During the busy times of the day--weekends especialy its kind of noisy here--sometimes a bit obnoxious actually--especially when the 'sisters' next door have their 'music' on.

I have so far 5 cultivated areas and quite a few pots of plants. I have so far listed 33 species of birds in my yard.

This house is rented and my hubby and I would like to own a house again. but--we don't know yet where we will go etc.. We are looking and pondering and thinking. I guess I want to go someplace that has neighbors again-- I like the kids--some of the noise I could do without.

I ahve to say--I like that the woods are there-- it adds a 'far away dimension' but I have only ventured into a little bit--to see some nice wild plants.

Mainly I am thinking --my garden is nearly perfect here. I just enjoy it to pieces. But--on the other hand--if I owned the house I would definately be planting alot more. I can 'see' azaleas in front of the woods and flowering or berry bearing shrubs on the sides and I think monkey grass on the slopey side of the house where it is so hard to mow.

I feel as if I am in this little oasis of bliss in the midst of urban nutsyness.

I've learned I think to be content wherever I am--I dont know-- that is why i'm wondering if small is as good or better than big. Alot of my garden time is actually spent sitting under an umbrella watching the birds and sketching in my journal. I do hold down a part time job and I still have plenty of time to tend my plants well and investigate new things and I guess-- I'm almost thinking I'd rather stay here than move--though hubby may have a radically different thought on that.

Anyhow--its great to read other folks ideas and about thier gardens--I hope they will continue! Mary t

I just like plants. It's an addiction really. I will fill up any available space and design considerations just don't stand a chance. Small or large, I can fill it up. And it is about how you enjoy it. I like to see how each plant develops; I like small interesting blooms as much as a big showy one. DH would love to see a big expanse of one color, like a dramatic bed of red tulips - he won't get that around me. And that's fair, cuz I do all the work. I appreciate designed gardens of others; it just isn't my thing. I do like to propogate, seeds, cuttting, whatever - my Dh says it's missing my child-bearing years.

Sometimes,Mary, it's not a question of how big the gardens are but how big the yard is that gives you nice visual distance between cultivated areas. You sound content for the most part.
We love the birds here too and are lucky to have many resident year-round pairs of bluebirds. Watching them is addictive and once I begin that I realize I'll get nothing else done in house or yard.
You take peace where you can find it and create a haven of beauty for your family,friends and neighbors. You sound like a great neighbor.

Mary, I agree w/ Dottie above - it's not the size! Of all the regular posters here, I suspect my area is among the smallest yet I still constantly find someething to do, move, divide (and figure out where to put it after I divide it!) ... and every season turns out to be a new adventure! Just when I thought I was done .....

I'm on a city-size tenth of an acre and once you back out the house footprint and driveway .... there just isn't much left - but it's utilized to the max. Size doesn't matter, heart does.

My grandfather had a small yard and it was PACKED with flowering shrubs, bulbs, perennials, annuals.... The ultimate cottage garden. He spent much of his time after retirement working on it. The space was probably 70' by 40', with a small lawn.

Back when we bought our first house (20+ yrs ago) we lived in the innner city and had a small yard--but at that time I was so concerned about the neighborhood being a bad influence on my children. I think I would have been happy with just the gardening I could do there--but we ended up moving first to one, then a 2nd even bigger country place mainly for the kids sake.

I guess now that the kids are grown, I am thinking--for me-- I don't want to abandon the city totally anymore. I like where I live--except it was a hard adjustment at first because it was so different. Otherwise though it is easy to get around here--and everything is in nice shape and affordable and I've learned to get along with people who are different from me. They seem to be adjusting to get along with me also for the most part. Its not so scarey as I had thought at first when I first realized we were the minority on the street.

I could stay put here. I don't think my husband wants to though--but I think he does think about it some cuz he says things like 'this isn't so bad' now and then, and he is getting to be buddies with a neighbor kid that is curious about how he works on cars. He's also helped a couple neighbors with car trouble.

I do think I have enough space here. I think I can tend it to almost 'perfect' --as far as gardens can ever be perfect anyhow-- without losing the time to just sit and enjoy the work that was done. The garden I have here is something that truly impacts the people here too. People really notice it and I get complements alot. Which is kind of nice.

I remember a couple women who lived in the area where I had my first little house and they both had gardens and I got started gardening from their help. The one gave me my first start of lambs ears --which I have had some in almost all my gardens over the years.

These ladies had lived in the same little houses for years and years, I don't think moving ever even crossed thier minds. Boy--wouldn't it have been nice to have lived in that era?
I've moved so much the past 4 or 5 years it just stresses me out to even consider again.

In my life I have HAD to move for different reasons, but if I had it all to do over and could have made the decisions based on nothing but gardening--I'd have stayed in the first house. Yes I liked the woods and fields that I had at subsequent houses, but you know what? I missed having neighbors--though sometimes neighbors are a pain. I missed having a garden small enough that every little plant was special. And I missed what I can only think is having less of the stress of the rat race taking its toll on me.

All this fuss moving and pursuing the dream, then unltimately losing the dream, etc-- really brought me full circle I think. Gardens are doable anyplace. You really do not need to have it all to enjoy it as much as someone who does.

There are always other factors in the decision making about moving, buying houses etc.. but I guess for me, at least in this area I know that ANY place can have a garden and be a delight with a bit of know how and hard work.

Right now I kind of like being able to get to the grocery store--even if it is not the best store-- in just a couple minutes, and some other advantages of the city.
Mary

Hi Dottie,

I also live in the Charlotte area - close to Weddington, actually between Ardrey Kell and Ballantyne Commons, and was wondering whether you know of any garden clubs in this area. I am new to Charlotte, having been year only a couple years and have just started to garden - I am looking to hook up in person with other avid gardeners so I can learn/share ideas.

Look forward to your response.
Dorothy

I finally have a large garden. However, I retired last June and then expanded beyond our cottage fence to create an outer garden. It was a lot of work to establish. I worked 5 days a week all last fall and 3 days a week during the summer last year to create the bones of the garden with bringing in garden soil and mulch (2 double dump trucks of each), shrubs and bulbs. This spring, I planted perennials.

I tried to pay careful attention to the environmental challenges. Hot sun, deer, rabbits, run off from the meadow. Once I had defined my problems, then I defined what I wanted in terms of maintenance, color, style.

I'm very satisfied with the results, but there are, as expected, plants that I want to move around for whatever reason; plants that I just want to dig up and throw away; plant combinations that will work better with some tweaks.

That said, I can't imagine ever trying to do this when I was working and commuting. Also, I envy the small gardens on small lots! We live out on 4.5 acres, so I could plant forever and it still wouldn't look finished.

Cameron

I read all of the responses, and have to add my thoughts, too. When I lived in Northern NY state, I had over 4 acres, most of it planted, but the soil was rich loam, and it rained or snowed about 360 days of the year. No matter what I planted, it grew and thrived--maintenance was not an issue except for keeping plants & shrubs trimmed back or moved around so they didn't take over their "space". Everything grew exceptionally well, and it was a nice feeling. Here in NC, I have about 3 acres, about half of it wooded that I don't maintain, and I find myself struggling to keep the small cottage-type garden that I'm trying to establish alive. So far, I've had to water constantly since rain is basically something we don't have in the summer and that's been really hard to adjust to. The soil is hardbaked clay that needs so much amendment, another thing that I've never had to deal with, and it's so hard that you can't just say to yourself "I think I'll plant this shrub here", I need to have my neighbor come over w/his tractor and auger and dig a hole. So much of the spontaneity that I'm used to doesn't exist here in my new garden. If you are renting, use that time to learn what grows well here, and what you are going to regret planting due to the time you'll have to devote to trying to keep it alive. Starting small is a good thing, I believe, as learning a whole new way of gardening takes time and the experience will help you make choices that won't be as expensive as potential mistakes on a larger scale!

Hi all, I'm glad to see this topic revived. Now that summer is past its prime, as a first time NC gardener this year, I have had a taste of it and see that it is not without its troubles.

I had deer eat my 'fall tomato' top down. So there's just this little bitty stubby thing there. ;)

My summer tomatos were yummy--but most of them were damaged by bugs--although--there were still plenty so that's fine, and there will be some more yet.

My perenials for the most part were lovely, I have much more in pots than I did earlier, I've been putting them in pots on my front porch because it is the only place on our rented lot that has any shade most of the day.

I've been watering every day, or every other day. I have let the grass mainly go so I could water the plants--especially the potted ones-- without feeling too guilty about using water during a drought. I only water the lawn a wee bit now and then.

I've been bitten up by ants and learned many creative ways to murder those.

We are finally looking seriously at a house we may buy--and the thing I am most attracted to on it is the big front porch with brick steps--I see 'pots' all over.

I think-- my ground is not as hard to dig in as I expected it to be--it is red clay--but it seems kind of sandy too.

I did use lasagna style beds mainly for my little 'islands in the sun' in the back yard. that worked fine. Lots of worms hiding under all that mulch--but I found that I have a real problem with fertility.

Although I bought tons of potting mix that claims it will feed your plants for months-- it did'nt. I now feed-- every other week with fish emulsion--but not always every other week--cuz sometimes its been so darn hot I just didn't want to!

The thing is I think--when you have to water so much-- the nutrients must wash away maybe?

Also--I was surprised that the heat doesn't really encourage plants to grow alot. I would have thought they'd ahve gone nuts growing in this heat--but some just seemed to have trouble getting up the nerve to survive. I think the best looking plants I have are the ones on the porch that has some shade. I guess NC is a good place for trees to be planted. Since we lived in ND last year--in Fargo-- It was a shock to see so many trees here when we arrived, now I see they are probably the biggest blessing you have in the Carolinas. A little shade is a major thing.

Still --all in all--my garden is satisfyingly beautiful and you can NOT beat Carolina for birds-- WOW!!! I have so many birds I have to fill my party feeder every single day. My smaller feeders at least weekly.
I love it here.

But--most of the folks I know at work say all their plants are dead. Mine are still blooming and green cuz I"ve knocked myself out to make sure they get the drinks they need and the food.

I see now that when we move I will have some borders and maybe a veggie garden--not sure-- but more likely herbs.
And I will have lots of pots.

The place I'm looking at now has a .27 acre yard--and I think that will be perfect.

I've owned acreage in the past. In Wisconsin we had a place with 3 acres and then a place with 7.
The 3 acre place was flat hard clay field and I could not do much with it. The place with 7 acres was woods mainly and we cut about 100 trees to have a lawn on part of it, most of my plants there could not get enough light for a long time. Then I had sandy lifeless soil to fix up.

I am finding that I enjoy gardening MORE now-- it is still work and still requires diligence, but I don't have to try to plant up an acre anymore. I can just make my little haven of a yard pretty. So I am thinking my new place--if we get it--with a smallish yard will be just totally fine.
Mary t

We will be building on 7 acres in upstate SC, and have decided that God did such a good job with it so far, who are we to try to make it better? I was delighted to find blueberries all over the woods, so I know they do well there. I would like to naturalize some spring bulbs and rhodies in the woods, though. Can't leave well enough alone, can we?!