Front gardens: looks vs food

[PaulDavidSumner]

With the pressure any owner-occupier is under to 'keep up appearances', the goal of creating a front garden that is both 'neat' and productive is demanding. Next year I intend to convert my small grass-and-flowers front garden into something that is both neat and useful, rather than merely neat.

On my estate, one cannot expect to put up 8 foot runner bean wigwams in a front garden without expecting the local rough boys to take a destructive interest in them. I would be interested in ideas from readers about how one could produce food from a front garden without making the place a mess or attracting adverse attention? Some ideas my mother and I came up with in a brief discussion were:

1) Annual vegetables such as e.g. garlic given its relatively small height, could be grown in a small border against the main fence without any trouble.

2) There are various herbs which form attractive ornamental shrubs and give added benefits to the cooking pot.

3) Neatly-pruned bushes such as redcurrants, planted in cut-out circles in the lawn, could combine an attractive appearance with fruit crops.

Given that many houses have both a front and a back garden, I was surprised to be unable to find front gardens in my searches on this site, and would be grateful to be pointed at any existing topics on the subject.

I would like to invite readers who have neat and highly-productive front gardens to tell us what they have planted in them.

[red]

I have no front garden at all (open my front door onto pavement)...but

think from a damage/theft point of view.. you have it about right - think small and not obvious


as for looks - well up the road they grow veg in a front garden.. and i think it looks lovely - all the veg lined up, etc. who-evers garden is it.. they are better at veg growing than me.. so mostly i look in in jealousy...

[the.fee.fairy]

I don't have anything near a neat and productive garden, but i did have a look to see what i could sneak in without my mother noticing

Nasturtiums - they look attractive
Carrots and onions - neither shout in an obvious way about what they are.
Same goes for parsnips.

I'd go for either root veg, so that you get nice greenery, but nothing that says 'pinch me and eat me' or for herbs if it were me.

I like your idea of neatly trimmed fruit bushes - trimming them would keep them productive as well.

[Wombat]

Kale, can look very decorative and you can eat the prunings!

Nev

[Jandra]

You might be interested to find out more about the principle of the ornamental kitchen garden. Years ago there was a Gardeners World series on the topic by Geoff Hamilton. There's also a book, which I like less than the series. But have a look here:
http://www.barnsdalegardens.co.uk/ns-index.html and/or google tho concept. You might find some interesting links.

In the series Geoff Hamilton would grow veg in between flowering ornamental plants and you'd never notice on first sight that half of what you saw in his garden was edible. Very pleasing to the eye, but also a fair bit of work to keep attractive, I would think.

Regards, Jandra

[ina]

With the pressure any owner-occupier is under to 'keep up appearances',

Who's putting you under pressure? That's something I refuse myself to be put under.

My front "garden" is kept, well - pruned might be the word - by my two goats (no neat lawn there, and bushes are cut back whenever they manage to get out, and not after a particular plan). I've planted fruit bushes and trees, strawberries, potatoes, plus all sorts of stuff in all sorts of containers (none of those nice blue glazed pottery affairs). OK, must admit, this is not a town garden (although my neighbour's garden looks like one). But if I lived in a town, I wouldn't do it differently - except that I probably wouldn't be allowed to keep goats!

Years ago my physics prof rose massively in my books when he told me he planted tatties in his front garden. His house was in a quiet residential area of the upper classes of the town... Yes, his neighbours did complain - but what about? It was his house!

[glenniedragon]

You could do 'defensive gardening', stick some burberis or something similar in with the veg, tis a brave/stupid man that climbs over that!

kind thoughts
Deb

[pskipper]

Beetroot have very attractive leaves with red veins, I have some in my front garden, I also have purple carrots, and ordinary carrots as the purple ones have reddish foliage. Stick a few flowers in amongst things like these and no-one notices. The squash which are slowly crawling across the gravelled bit of the garden however are a bit more obvious :)

[Cassiepod]

I've had potatoes in my front garden in the very depressing Bridcge of Don (large housing estate) nobody said anything, nobody every said anythign to us they were a miserable antisocial bunch hence the move to the country and a bit of community.

I've never beenkeen on keepign up appearances and possibly even inclined to do things to get a reaction not the best behaviour but it keeps me happy!

[red]

You might be interested to find out more about the principle of the ornamental kitchen garden. Years ago there was a Gardeners World series on the topic by Geoff Hamilton.

yeh I loved that series - and recommend the book - I still refer to it alot.

Its taking things back to the cottag garden where a mix of flowers and veg was the norm

[Cheezy]

In the vein of defensive gardening, and things not to attract.

Firstly this depends on the aspect and how much sun you get.

Unless you have a vast front garden I don't think it's worth growing any "staple" crop since you need loads. Its better to grow specials that can suppliment your diet and provide interest

As a hedge you could try sea buckthorn. It'll grow anywhere, it produces fantastic orange berries which have one of the highest vit C contents and are thought to be what our ancestors ate. You can make jams and ketchups out of it. And it's very thorny.

I would grow garlic as a little goes a long way, rosemary , thyme,oragano , all if it's sunny, you'll need to improve the drainage.

Fennel both bronze and bulb look great and taste better. Or what about the ultimate posh nosh asparagus.

Salad crops might be good, things like wild rocket will tolerate dry (not thats it's dry at the mo.) and a mix of cut and come again, much better than bloody packet rubbish.

And you'll have to give a go to some tomatoes in a pot or grow bag agaist a wall.

[the.fee.fairy]

This whole thread reminds me of the episode in The Good Life where they dig up the garden to put in 45lb of potatoes...Jerry's face is such a picture!!

[Cornelian]

I always grow vegies among my front yard flowers and no one ever notices them there - things like onions, garlic, carrots and pumpkins simply vanish among the general greenery (I have very deep beds, though), cabbages etc similar. I just plant out among the shrubs and flowers.

[Wombat]

I wanted wheat but it was vetoed by Mrs Wombat!

Nev

[Bonniegirl]

Why don't you plant a herb garden?