Donna- What exactly is too close? Do they shade out the weeds or each other? How large are your paths? If you have wide paths and smaller beds, that's a different feel in a garden than narrow paths. With narrow paths, you might need to keep the edges more trimmed back, to feel like you have more space. Also, some veggies (like carrots) can be thinned as they grow, which keeps things from becoming too crowded.

I'm still new to all this myself, but as long as the garden makes you happy, that's all that matters. If it feels a little too crowded, maybe thin a few things out or just plant a little further apart next year. I like to use alyssum under everything for a mulch. Not only does it shade out the weeds, but since it's so short, it doesn't feel as crowded as taller flowers might.

If the weather this year is very unusual, then maybe that would account for it. Do you have any pictures?

I think you hit some major points in your followup!

My carrots are unthinned (I noticed this morning), my paths are narrow (2' - no choice, the potager is narrow).
But the paths didn't feel narrow when the veggies weren't growing all over the sides of the beds. Time for a trim -

And mostly, you are right, the most important thing about the garden is that you should enjoy being in it, so if that's not the case you need to fix that.

I guess it is live and learn, a lot! Lessons from this year carry on for next year.

Thank you! :)

Donna- Gardening is definitely "learn as you go"! LOL

I'm still trying to get my potager edged and weeded. It's a little wild right now, but I'm hoping that weeding will help. Getting the shrubs and fruit in has been a priority so far, but I do have some tomatoes, beans, peas and squash. We'll see how things look by the end of summer :)

Last year, my paths were so overgrown and taken over by the squash that I couldn't get around very well. I still enjoyed the garden immensely. It was very lush.

This year, I spent a lot of time rearranging the layout of the beds. I banished the pumpkins and butternuts to their own satellite bed. And, I did try to space things better.

Now, I'm not saying everything's perfect this year, but at least I can actually walk in the garden instead of hopping, balancing on one leg and then leaping just to get to the back of the garden:)

I'm right there with ya, Donna! My garden is getting so crowded. One of my tomatoes has already reached the top of its 7' obelisk. Others are growing rapidly, too. And it's barely summer! We've had the hottest June in nearly 70 years. Very little rain, but I've been watering diligently.

I just yanked one set of radishes because I wanted to actually see some soil. I think I'll thin a few other things, too. My herb bed is nuts. I just chopped a few branches off of my pineapple sage and took some cuttings of my Cuban Oregano to make more plants to give away. I really need to spend some time in there and clean some things up. I need to get a little ruthless!

Lisa

I should be so lucky! Photos, please. I need to live vicariously. It's been unusually cold and wet here in the PNW so not much is looking lush right now.