A break from all the MOOC posting (though I have a brief another one of those in me I might get to yet today) to share a Flickr set and an update on the gardening for 2013. Part of what prompted me to post this is this article I came across via the book of face, “Reclaiming the front yard with edible estates” from the public radio show The Splendid Table. Basically, it’s a little story about a gardening/art project for turning front yards into food gardens. There are even plans for one garden that features an earthen bread/pizza oven. Hmm, maybe next year….
Anyway, a couple of quick observations:
First, it all continues to be a huge hit with neighbors. When I’m out there doing stuff, people walking by routinely stop to chat, to say how much they like what we’ve done, etc. A few other people in the neighborhood have even given the front yard veggie garden a go for themselves. So it’s all very very good.
Second, it grows quick. Here’s a picture of the flower/perennial part from last year:
Things were just getting established. Here’s the same view from almost exactly a year later:
Pretty jungle-like now.
Third, it seems we’ve had a fair amount of “wildlife” this year. I tried to plant some beets and cauliflower as a “second crop” in part of the veggies but I think the rabbits got to it, unfortunately. But we have more pleasant critters too, like big fat bees and this particular butterfly, which I seem to see out there all the time:
Oddly, it could be a little warmer and drier this August, but it looks like we have a lot of tomatoes coming at us in a couple weeks.
Dene Grigar liked this on Facebook.
made me miss my garden!!! http://t.co/emZosznxYF
In my suburban neighborhood, covenants explicitly prohibit growing vegetables in the front yard. They also prohibit raising chickens and posting election signs.
You need to move!
There was a story on the local (Detroit Metro area) news about someone who had a large and well-kept front yard veggie garden, but she had it in a neighborhood that officially prohibited such things. The suburb (I forget which city it was) was going to go after her, she went to the local TV station with the story (and they love stuff like this), and she got to keep her garden. So that’s one approach.
Chickens, IMO, would be a pain in the ass. Though who knows? My wife says she wants them.