Horticultural Therapy and Design

Love it and hate it. Too little land...too much land. Privacy that can't be achieved...too much privacy that needs to be achieved. Not enough space for more plants...too much space that needs more plants. Just what is the happy medium? I've experienced living and gardening in a condo, on 8 acres, then a postage-stamp subdivision lot, and now 1 acre. I'm still not completely happy. Is it  the expense of buying so much more plants, soil, compost, and mulch? The need to create more "designe...

Given that I practice what I preach and sing the praises of rainwater harvesting, you'd think I have a rain barrel at every downspout collecting precious rain water from all my rooftops. I'm a landscape designer who practices xeriscaping and firmly believes in water conservation (having a husband who pays the water bill and reminds me of it also helps). I should have an underground cistern; I should have tens of rain barrels; I should be giving m...