to enter or not to enter, that is the question

I mentioned in my last post that I was thinking about entering the garden competition this year, and got some positive responses.  Thanks for your support, by the way!  I really, really, really do want to enter.  I don't expect to win anything at all, but I'm interested in supporting the Calgary Horticultural Society and I'm also selfishly interested in the feedback I would get from the judges.  I think it would be helpful to look at my garden through the eyes of some other expert Calgary gardeners.  But let me tell you what's holding me back.

When I look back at the list I made last year of the things to be done before entering the garden competition,  I see that I have not accomplished much:

• I did paint the doors, window box and patio table last year and love the colours, but now with the new windows I need to start painting the house trim and get rid of the ugly faded yellow colour once and for all.  Plus we replaced the table with a slightly larger one this year that also needs painting so I'll have to do that job again.
• The mother-of-a-retaining wall did get built but we never finished replacing the patio around the edges where the patio meets the wall.  We probably won't get to it this year, either.
• The dry stream bed in the adventure garden is done.  I'm thinking maybe I could just enter this area in the perennial garden category.
• the back corner parking pad area that I call 'England' is slightly cleaned up compared to last year but still not anything competition-worthy.  I'm hoping for raised beds to be built in the fall - we're behind schedule on this one!
• The tree beside the front steps was removed.  Check!   ... but I would like to put a little patio in there someday...
• The greenhouse was removed and now there's a big muddy square hole in the middle of our north patio.  Playhouse construction has not begun yet.
• Those "temporary stairs" off our back porch are still there.  No hopes to even try to get them replaced this year.

So there's the update on the things I would ideally like to have done to get my yard close being competition-worthy i.e. I wouldn't expect to win anything for at least the next few years.  But still I'm tempted to enter...

Wait, more cons: I'm going to be out of town for at least 15 days between now and judging time, meaning not a lot is going to get done. When I've viewed winning gardens before, they have been immaculate with every blade of grass trimmed and not a spec of dust on any hard surface.  Do these people not have kids?  Not take holidays?  I'm not sure I have time for this.  And even if I did have time I'm not sure I want to spend the time and effort on that kind of detail. 

Anyway, my husband has given me permission to enter the competition as long as I promise not to buy anything else.  I think I can do that.  So I'm still tempted...

Someone please talk me out of this?

Comments

[Laura]

That's the great part about these contests. They propel us and our gardens forward on projects that may other wise be procrastinated. I did a post on this the other day, when I came home to a nomination sign in my front garden. In our contest though, we don't receive any feedback, which is unfortunate.

[Paula H]

I would have to agree that the gardeners of the "Winning Gardens" seem to lack children, pets, and employment outside of their garden!

[awfawef]

Bah, all those things are just obstacles in the quest for the perfect garden :)

[Calgary Garden Coach]

Thanks for the comments everyone. I think, despite the fact that some areas of the garden are not mature, some areas of the yard still need work, and I will not have time to make my garden as immaculate as previous winners seem to have time for, I will enter a few select areas of my garden. I definitely don't think I'm ready for the "curb appeal" or "whole garden" categories. But I do look forward to the feedback from judges and the thrill of the competition!! I'll keep you updated,
Janice