10 rules to break

10 rules to break: "10 rules to break
Don't let advice stifle your creativity
Thursday, January 19, 2006
Dulcy Mahar

There are plenty of 'how-to' tomes that spout a number of serviceable garden rules. Undeniably, rules are useful to give direction and discipline, especially when one is starting out.

But after a while, experience becomes the great teacher, and one of the things it can teach us is that too much rigidity in following rules is not necessarily a good thing. After all, departing from the norm and trying new things is one of the definitions of creativity.

Here, for example, are 10 rules ripe for the breaking.
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1. Get rid of the lawn. This has been the mantra for the past few years as we strive to save water and reduce labor. But the truth is, a little bit of green is a beautiful foil for plants, and one shouldn't be made to feel overly guilty about enjoying some turf. My advice is that if you like lawn, just downsize and water smartly."