Comments on: Front Yard Vegi Gardens Are Okay (in Richmond, CA)

By: ryan

ryan — Sun, 12 Jul 2009 05:54:13 +0000

A neighbor from Iowa, perhaps? Corn definitely has a bold form.

By: lostlandscape(James)

lostlandscape(James) — Sun, 12 Jul 2009 05:48:15 +0000

Even if the backyards are perfectly suitable for veggies, growing them in the front definitely makes a statement. My neighbor next door doesn’t have much room left in the back, so their front has bananas, a loquat and a pear mixed in with their ornamentals. A house a couple miles away has a front yard full of corn–talk about using big ornamental grasses!

By: ryan

ryan — Sun, 12 Jul 2009 05:11:37 +0000

I’m maybe not the best one to say why people might object, but the rumor come from a dispute between the city of Berkeley and one homeowner. The city says they cited him for building a raised bed structure in his hellstrip (which is actually public space), while the homeowner claims that the city is citing him for growing food in his front yard. I’m keeping my distance from the dispute, so I haven’t linked to any of it, but it’s gotten a fair bit of press.
I think neighbors and homeowner associations sometimes object with the belief that it will negatively affect home prices. Basically, people want gardens to look like someone is tending them, and the fear is that vegetable gardens will have their ragged periods, because they are geared towards production rather than ornamental value. I think it helped a lot that the first vegetable garden in the area was always kept so tidy. That garden always looks better maintained than almost any other yard in the area.
Mixing in ornamentals or surrounding it with ornamentals is a good idea.
I think the reason for planting vegetables in the front is that sense of watering something edible, like Susie says, and using the space for something productive. Also, sun and space are reasons; some houses don’t have much of a backyard.
The thought of all the passing dogs makes me skeptical about growing veggies in my own hellstrip, but we have cat issues anyways, so maybe I should put some plants out where the best sun is. Some of these gardens are a month ahead of our own veggie garden.
I’m glad folks enjoyed the photos.

By: Susie

Susie — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 21:10:19 +0000

I designed a front yard veggie garden for a client last year. She figured if she was using water then she may as well be watering something edible. I’ll have to go back out & take some photos. She was in a corner lot so, we put fruit trees along the sloping side area & espalliered on her garage wall. I designed decorative pathways in a sunray pattern thru the front yard alongside her existing entry walkway. Along with the edibles, I added some drought tolerant ornamental plants so that the street side presentation would still be beautiful.

By: Bird

Bird — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 08:41:09 +0000

Fantastic veggie garden pics - so inspiring when people sacrifice their lawns! I’m really intrigued by the idea that it would be even considered possible that a vegetable patch could be illegal, why would that be? Is it the water usage or something like that?

Many food plants are beautiful - lovely flowers, architectural shapes and interesting growth habits, and as these pics prove their containers can be made into a feature too. Old fashioned cottage gardens would have cabbages among the Hollyhocks because you only had a tiny plot and why limit what you can grow there? Thanks for sharing these. Oh and thank you for visiting my blog too, and apologies for not coming over to your place till now

By: Brad B

Brad B — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 19:51:47 +0000

Too much trash and dogs passing by our front yard for me to feel comfortable growing veggies. A shame because it’s large and sunny, but so is the backyard. The drought tolerant planting will have to do for the front.