Edible stuff in the front yard

[Ignoramus31046]

Thanks, I will ask my grandma about pollination. Have not thought of that.

i

[Pam - gardengal]

cotoneaster,

The recommendation of most landscape architects and designers is to plant things in a front entry garden that will have year round appeal - that means predominately evergreens or at the very least, deciduous material that offers a permanent woody framework and preferrably, some sort of winter interest. An entry garden comprised primarily of herbaceous plants - either perennial or annual - offers very little in the way of curb appeal. This may not be a huge concern now (unless you live in a nieghborhood with restrictive covenants), but can definitely play a big factor in resale value.

This does not mean you should refrain entirely from these types of plants, including edibles. Just combine them with other, more permanent additions.Fruit trees have been mentioned, as have a number of herbs which are perennial and/or evergreen. You could also consider a number of berries which form attractive small shrubs - blueberries, huckleberries, currants - even viburnum berries are edible, but you need to pick your variety if taste is what you are after.Lots of edible crops make very attractive garden additions. Look for books describing 'potagers' or decorative kitchen gardens - the Europeans have made an art form of these, although not often are they presented as front yards. But a well-designed mixture of edibles plus more ornamental plants should satisfy all requirements.

pam - gardengal

[gregpresley]

Ignoramus, since you live in Illinois, why not plant the native American Persimmon tree in your front yard. It will be totally hardy, relatively pest free, will give you delicious fruit every fall - heavier every other fall - and has pretty fall foliage. Other than that, I favor the berry solution - (blueberries, maybe raspberries). and possibly a grape arbor, for concord grapes in your region. Dward fruit trees that are hardy in your region would also be fine. Probably apples would do well, and maybe cherries. Rhubarb would be good in your climate. Also asparagaus is relatively picturesque, and a perennial. Mix a few annual food crops in with these, and you will have a yard that no one will object to.

[tmtresh]

No, they are sour, that's why so much sugar is added.

[Pat Kiewicz]

Okra -- it's a hibiscus, after all!

Eggplants -- visitor once exclaimed in amazement how beautiful theeggplant 'bushes' in the garden were

Peanuts -- rather pretty plants, with all the food-making work going on underground

Sweet potatoes -- ditto the peanuts

Personally, I think corn (sweet or otherwise) would end up looking rather unkempt. Millet would be a more ornamental grain.

[dps]

I will have to retract my "more than half the year" statement. In my area the ground would be bare only from December through April. (unless I put in something like winter rye)

There are only a few plants that you really don't want to eat (i.e. are toxic). The other non-food plants probably just aren't culinarialy appealing. However, I agree that there's no real reason to separate food and decorative crops.

As far as not harvesting a crop all at once, that certainly works with some crops. I do not advise it with something like lettuce. You can peel off the outer leaves of lettuce and make a salad. Eventually the plant will get tired of that treatment and will bolt, at which time the leaves get bitter. Much better to cut the head (or even better, pull it up by the roots, wash them off, and place in a plastic bag with a little water in the fridge, where it will last for a couple of weeks if you don't finish it off sooner) and plant a replacement immediately. If you plan ahead, you can have several lettuce plants waiting to go into the garden as soon as you pull the ones that're ready.

Most people think that they should plant in the spring and enjoy the harvest all summer. However, some crops need to be planted almost continuously to enjoy a continuous harvest. My last lettuce planting is generally in mid to late August. Lettuce will take temperatures down to

25F, although some varieties will show some tipburn at those temperatures. I have picked lettuce at Christmas (MA, zone 5, but certainly not every year).

[simy1]

Indeed. If you live in, say, California, you could have swiss chard and lettuce in your front beds 12 months a year. In Michigan, four or five months a year.

At any rate, here is a short list of plants I have seen in front yards. Most fruit trees will of course look good when in bloom, and are decent looking when espaliered.

- chard and oakleaf lettuce (red and lime) can pass as flower bed plants. So do some kales. Some cabbages can be sneaked in if you surround them with different foliage. Flowering cabbages in the front yard are ubiquitous here in Michigan.

- cardoon is a magnificent specimen plant

- corn, in a bed, can look like an accent grass clump

- zucchini as a tropical looking ground cover

- some herbs (thyme in particular) as a ground cover. Rosemary used for ground cover is far worse eating than the edible varieties

- as specimen trees, chestnut and bay laurel can be outstanding

- hardy kiwis are the prettiest of vines for a trellis.

- beans or peas can be put in the back of a bed up a trellis

I myself would put all these in the front yard except corn, beans and peas. Plants that do not especially qualify for the front yard include tomatoes (too coarse of a plant), most salad greens (exception could be claytonia as a ground cover), garlic and onion, most root crops, favas, asparagus, and potatoes. Mind you, if one mixes them with flowers most of them will be able to blend in. My problem, however, is that my backyard is suitably defended against wildlife (fence, underground fence, electric fence, chicken wire under beds). The front yard plants have to be rodent and deer-proof.

[tmtresh]

You misunderstood me, Pam. I didn't mean to imply that I only grow perrenials and annual flowers in the front, only that I would like to grow some food plants, too. I have limited space, front and back, and would like some creative ways to have both flowers & veggies. My front yard is small, but I have the aforementioned honey locust, a very large evergreen shrub (no idea what it is), a lilac that the previous owners cut to the ground (and since has been slowly growing back in the two years we've been here), and two medium sized barberry. There is a large triangular flower bed 20 feet by

5 ft next to the house. The lilac and barberries are located there. I recently made a smaller bed about 2 feet quarter round next to the driveway and the public sidewalk. I planted a peony in the middle, surrounded by tulips and crocuses (the idea being that when the tulips and crocuses died down, the peony would be up). My house faces north, so it is very shady in front. I planted tulips, daffodils, hyaciths, and a few other things (mostly bulbs) in the large bed. I know these are full sun plants, they do all right, simply blooming later than those across the street. I also planted irises there, so I could have some color later in the year. I plan to plant a bleeding heart also in the large bed. So, my concern is to fill between the shrubbery with annuals/perrenials and maybe some food plants, which seem more finicky for sun than the flowers.

I can easily plant veggies between permanant plantings in the backyard, because the sun is there. So, any ideas for food plants which are less sun craving which I can plant in my shady front yard?

[Brian]

[Janice]

I had volunteer grand rapids lettuce plants freeze overnight and in the morning.. but be thawed out in the afternoon and looking as if they'd never been frozen at all.

Janice

[Blake]

I agree - Blueberries make great hedge plants - with white flowers in the spring and red/gold leaves in the Fall. Strawberries make a great ground covers. Fruit trees are all covered with blooms in the spring. Brambles might not be so good, as they need a support trellis, but they can cover a fence.

And if you are looking for some ideas - visit a pick your own farm - Check out

. There are complete listings for pick your own (u-pick, PYO, etc.) farms and orchards there for the United States, Canadfa, Britain, Australia and New Zealand. The site is free and easy to use. You can also find a pick your own farm or orchard for fruit (strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, apples, etc.) and vegetables, pumpkins, Christmas trees, etc. near your location. The typical harvest dates and other information for each area and farm, are also present.

And there are also illustrated directions to make jam, applesauce, apple butter, etc. They even have local weather (current and forecast) linked in.Have fun!

Blake

[Janice]

Friend read this book years ago, said it was pretty decent.. found an url for it on amazon. This particular listing lets you "look inside" and lets you look at the table of contents, some of the text and the index. That might be enough to let you know if you want to try your local library to see if it has it or can get it on interlibrary loan. Even just reading the index or table of content can at least give you plant names to look up.

The Complete Book of Edible Landscaping: Home Landscaping with Food-Bearing Plants and Resource-Saving Techniques by Rosalind Creasy

I agree - Blueberries make great hedge plants - with white flowers in

[Ann]

dps expounded:

Huh? My gardens are bare during the winter, makes it easier to clear out the leaves, etc. And my yard is one of the best looking yard in the neighborhood, everyone comments on it. I have raised veggie beds and perennial borders.....looks just fine.