Even the most ardent enthusiast is put off when a simple process is dissected too thoroughly and left to experts. It’s that way with cooking, making love, buying clothes, having babies, and it’s certainly that way with gardening. Why we’re so intent on making rules and complicating matters, I don’t know, but the effect is to intimidate us into total inaction – afraid we’ll forget a step, plant a seed too deep, and have to leave town. The only thing you truly need to design a garden is to start here and work that way, deciding what might look good along the way.
Have the boldness to throw out rules. Or make up your own. Plant, have babies, listen to the song of the Universe. But don’t ever live in fear of doing something wrong; of breaking rules.
