I think part of the problem you're having with the pic is that there are some haphazard perspective issues in it. The foreground line is slightly off and in this image it seems like it is appropriate for the line formed by the bases of the trees to be level, closer to horizontal. It's off a bit and that seems to contribute to disrupting the rhythm of this thing.
Also, the trees themselves could use a little nudge to the right. I used a tiny transform move to get them more formal. I spose formal is the key all through this picture...you are in a very formal mode here and things just need to get a bit tighter.
Also, I took a bit of the attention off of the far right side by taking some white off the rice. Rough, quick moves here so don't critique my critique.
This may or may not help...i had to stop doing this because my dog started eating my chair leg and I almost went down.
One more thing that you, my friend fike, have to find...where's waldo?
before:
after: