@CH
You make some very good points: most of the neighbouring gardens are "pretty basic" and few can be described as "attractive" - OTOH, apart from the parched state of our lawn (I haven't watered it as it will eventually recover - as it did last/this year after being comprehensively "de-mossed") but our borders look relatively reasonable and colourful because of SWMBO's comprehensive watering regime (every evening - apart from today!). She does the flower beds, and I do the "veg (etc.)" - so we have good looking flowers, and a lot of tomatoes and cucumbers, and, hopefully, several sorts of beans to come later, and then sprouts and brocolli early next Spring.

PS: you've seen how relatively small the garden is - so we don't do too badly