Hi Brenda,

Yes, bigger is not always better. On a garden tour last June in a town with many mansions and estates on tour, was a small house in town. The front yard was shady with ferns and hostas in pea gravel. One side nothing but stepping stones for it was so narrow. The back,with an area of about 20 by 30, was a garden right out of the magazines. A high stockade fence provided privacy. A small pond in one corner. In the other, a table with chairs. A fountain in the center with vegetables around. The floor flagstone. You talk about an oases in the middle of a busy residential area. Oh yes,several pots with beautiful combinations. And to conclude, the back was shaded in the evening to eliminate that bright sun.
This might sound crazy but I would rather live in a cozy house such as this than one of those big mansions up on the hill.

If you've never been to Calloway Gardens in Pine Mountain Georgia, you need to visit. They have three gardens; butterfly, vegetable & botanical. There is this charming old church with a pipe organ that you hear through the woods. They have church service on Sunday morning. The organ is playing and you have to walk through the woods to get to the church. VERY VERY VERY WONDERFUL!