Beginner Gardening: August - how do you make the best use of your garden space?, 1 by jkom51

jkom51 wrote:
We have an urban, downsloping lot of 5600 sq.ft. total, with a little over 2K sq.ft. cut up into garden beds. These rectangles are divided by various hardscape. As drought is serious here, a few beds live entirely on runoff; the rest are watered by soaker hoses.

I can't imagine having more acreage to garden in. Although I'd love more space in principle - some sunnier areas would enable me to grow more roses and dahlias, for instance - I just wouldn't be able to take care of it all myself. I'm retired, but I want time to occasionally sit back and enjoy the 'view', without feeling guilty that I'm not forever weeding/pruning/deadheading/digging.

Our cottage garden is heavily planted, no lawn. Unfortunately the soil is getting tired as a result, so I need to modify my fertilizing/mulching routine going forward. Gardening is hard work! - but a joy to the eye and a balm to the spirit, as compensation.

This unusual photo is looking straight down out of our kitchen window, into one of the backyard flower beds. This is one that lives completely on runoff, no watering for six months thru the summer.