The Grass is Always Greener.

Amirite? I’ve been re-watching last year’s Gardener’s World episodes on BritBox and they often show garden features in the early episodes. As always there’s only so much Monty can do in his garden and its low season for many of the larger, famous gardens. So they use footage from previous shoots and show you an abundance of lovely home gardens. I love it.

The one thing I always come away from these visits (and the continual visits to Longmeadow and Adam Frost’s garden) feeling is a longing for a space with more structure. I’m talking walled gardens, archways, giant shade trees, even fantastical borrowed landscapes or woods. I’m envious of how these types of defining features drive gardening and designing decisions.

Why? Because this is the ‘foundation’ of my garden plan.

Expanses of grass, a retaining wall, and a driveway doth not make for the most inspiring foundations of a garden. These then meant that our plan was going to have to be more pragmatic than anything. The spot that got the best sun is where I situated the Veg Garden and everything else built off of that. I’m very happy with our garden and our plans, I promise! But I can’t help but be a tinge envious every time I see old brick garden walls.

Swoon!

Or stunning gates or gatehouses to frame something perfect or guide you through a space? Sigh.

And yes, the mature trees that can’t be imitated for all the tea in China (I checked this statistic, and yes, China does grow more tea than any other country).

So I want to know if you have one of these defining features in your garden space and do you love it (and let it guide you) or do you secretly (or not so secretly) wish you didn’t have to pay so much attention to it? I’m dying to know!