what kind of vegetable would you recommend to grow in front yard?

Where I live (a nice suburban area) I can plant anything I want in my front yard (yes, I checked). I even had a scarecrow for a while, I am sure that neighbors complained, but the village could not do anything. I am trying to behave better in my new house though. See if your association has specific rules about planting stuff, maybe it does not and you can do anything you want.

I think that anything edible looks better than lawns. I would consider potatoes or low tomatoes.

Strawberries or Kale.

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On 5 Jun 2006 13:32:20 -0700, in rec.gardens.edible "Mark" , in glistered weave writ large for all to see:

Would it be unreasonable to suggest that you could terrace a portion of the back yard?

FACE

Thanks a lot.

Are these one time a year crop or more? would they grow well in South California(San Diego)

If we knew what USDA zone or other climate reference you are in, we might be able to offer more useful suggestions. Kales and leaf lettuces are beautiful, but it's already way too hot here in South Carolina for them.

There are lots of ornamental peppers, and some not intended as ornamentals that are very attractive. Tabasco peppers are beautiful, and tall enough to be planted at the back of a flower bed. It's looks like a giant candelabra with thousands of tiny, multi-color lights, *and* most big box stores carry Tabascos.

Most squashes have pretty blooms on them, although they can sprawl, so pick your variety carefully. A lot of peas have nice flowers, too, and can be trellised. Jerusalem Artichokes (Sunchokes) will make your homeowner's association think you're growing sunflowers. Sweet potatoes have nice blooms, too, although they may wonder why you're digging up the whole flower bed come fall.

Oh, and don't forget your herbs. If you're not too far north, rosemary makes an attractive shrub. Red basils double as ornamentals, and you could put some mint in hanging baskets for your front porch. You could actually do the whole front yard as a herb garden there are so many attractive herbs.

There are a lot of possibilities, but we need more information about your home. What zone, how much sunlight, how much room, and what did you have in mind to plant? Could you use planters, or do you want mostly in ground stuff?

Penelope

They should do fine there, especially the strawberries.

Frost probably isn't a concern but Kale is known for being very resistant to the cold (and often lasts well into December here). Kale is a member of the cabbage family, so you'd face the same concerns - like root maggot. I usually put a bit of newspaper around the plants and mulch on top.

If you get strawberries, get a day-neutral variety. You'll get berries well into the fall and they don't send out many runners that would overwhelm the garden. Get some transplants, plant them, pick the flowers off them for the first few weeks, then let them fruit. You should mulch them as well. Strawberry plants are good for 3 to 5 years.

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Zone 5a in Canada's Far East.

As Ms. Periwinkle stated, your Plant Hardiness Zone would be useful information to us.

Some determinant tomato plants might be decorative beside the front door walkway.

Be aware that ripe vegetables are targets for thieves.

Eggplants come to mind.

Bill

-- Gmail and Google Groups. This century's answer to AOL and WebTV.

Andy

Sweet corn, or pumpkins. HTH ;-)

Bob

The only veggie-garden plants that ever got a "wow, that's beautiful!" are okra and eggplant.

I also remember a tiny in-town front yard that was packed with paste tomatoes and basil. (It was the only sunny spot they had.) Looked strange, but very healthy and well-tended.

snipped-for-privacy@someplace.net.net (Pat Kiewicz) wrote in news: _uWdneJSVr4O0xjZnZ2dnUVZ snipped-for-privacy@comcast.com:

I had a similar reaction to the carrots I grew, but it was more "these look a lot better than parsley." I think given the chance I'd use carrot greens as a garnish and not parsley.

Puckdropper

Do a Google for "edible landscaping." There are a couple of really good books about it, and you'll probably be able to find lots of links that'll give you good ideas.

I always plant pansies and leaf lettuce (like Red Sails) in a pot next to my front door. (I'm in Zone 3, in Alaska.)

And I have my culinary herbs growing near the front door: chives, basil, rosemary, french tarragon, oregano, etc. They're pretty, they smell nice and they're neat to cook with.

It's too hot in 'dago this time of year, but Romanesco broccoli is a neat looking plant. You can grow that in the winter down there. Kale is also really pretty. Globe artichoke plants are neat looking -- they're just thistles. Those are all cool season crops, where you live.

Robert Kourick and Rosemary Creasy have both written good books on edible landscaping. (Bob Kourick was one of my teachers when I did my Master Gardener training in Marin County, CA. He's a hoot.)

Jan USDA Zone 3

Okra flowers are beautiful. Carrots have lovely foliage.

Peace,

Kate

You'll probably do best with herbs. You can lay them out in a formal, European style garden plan and then when the snooty neighbors ask what this or that plant is, you can pluck a leaf or stem and eat it right in front of them. I imagine it could be fun to watch their reactions. :-)

Seriously, in addition to all the other good suggestions, including terraces or big containers in the back yard, letting some garlic and onions go to flower can add a nice touch as well. There are even some strictly ornamental onions that are bred just for this purpose.

J.

Mark wrote:

Kohl Rabi are a novelty. Beetroot. Silver beet or coloured chard. The gold nugget pumpkins grow on a clumping bush not a trailing vine, and it's large leaves with golden fruit is attractive. Pole beans, especially coloured ones. Strawberries would look okay in a sunny spot. Rhubarb, too. Passionfruit. Not all these are vegetables, but they are edible.

-- John Savage (my news address is not valid for email)

I grow Tumbler tomatoes, peppers and courgettes in my front garden, right by the front door, in pots. I've also got three large containers of mixed salad out there. They're actually really pretty, and with a few pots of flowers mixed among them, the look great. Squash (including courgettes) have lovely flowers, and a friend of my mother's actually trains squash around her front door. They look absolutely beautiful when they fruit, too.

Failing that, what about a herb bed or a pretty container full of them? A lot of thymes are really decorative, chives have lovely flowers, sage is pretty...to stop the mint and parsley getting out of control, I grow my herbs in a large butler sink (with some gravel in the bottom the plug hole is perfectly adequate drainage) I rescued from a skip.

--

I suppose that it depends upon how obnoxious your HOA contract is, and how desperately your neighbours are clutching their interpersonal dominance-games (and their sphincters.)

Have you reviewed your HOA contract which decrees the acceptable colour/brand of toilet paper... Uh, wait, I mean... which states the acceptable street-appearance of "your" front lawn?

Or maybe it is really THEIR lawn, since they control it?

Anyway, I suspect that strawberries, courgettes/zucchinis, and herbs might be OK.

Personally, I cannot imagine hassling a neighbour for visible vegetables.

But, in your shoes, I would look carefully at the contract. I mean, who knows? They might be control-freaks who will fine you for anything except grass. Which you will keep to a specified length, etc.

A real risk: Some dork neighbour blows all of their money on a house they can't afford, plus cigarettes, junk-food, etc. And then bitterly resents you for showing evidence of a proper diet, etc. NOT a fun prospect, especially since those types generally don't have any productive pursuits to distract them from resenting/bullying you. And maybe being on the HOA board, as a busy-body who will assert his/her authoriTAH.

A really, really BAD IDEA is to directly tell that person that you *don't* wanna be their personal fffwwwwwiiiiieeeennnnnddd.

I would advise against pumpkins........

Andy in Eureka, Texas