The lawn mower is having a beautiful retirement on the boulevard of a front garden that is almost entirely devoted to vegetables. At the time of this photo in November, some of the structure of the garden had been dismantled, but you can still see evidence of the use of vertical structures, important for catching the sun on this north-facing lot.
This garden not only has a beautiful design and some neat artifacts but is successfully growing a variety of vegetables even in late fall.
The first garden features Swiss chard growing among native plants adjacent to the front sidewalk. Further back, in an unlikely shady location next to the northeast side of the house, the pole beans are finished for the season but the nasturtiums are still thriving.
In the second garden, Brussels sprouts grow next to a rhododendron. Earlier in the season there were tomatoes and cucumbers. The owners were in the vanguard many years ago when they removed the grass in the front and landscaped with rhododendrons, witch hazel, etc., but now they make more space for vegetables each year.
The third garden has Swiss chard growing near the house. There is potential on this sunny south-facing exposure to grow a variety of vegetables.
Since no one has transformed their entire front lawn to vegetables, these are small endeavours. However, taken together, can we see the beginning of a movement? Perhaps next season there will be larger areas devoted to vegetables and more neighbors joining in.
The author, from Salt Spring Island, B.C., traveled to one Canadian farm in the Kootenays and to a number of farms in the US, none of which practice industrial agriculture. Although not about home gardens, the book is an inspiration about better ways of producing food.
Five gardeners/farmers in the Slocan Valley, B.C. are featured. There are many beautiful photos of their gardens, along with recipes and gardening advice.
The author/artist redesigned three front lawns, in California, Kansas, and New Jersey, to grow vegetables, herbs, and fruits. This book takes Primeau's book (below) on front yard gardens one step further! But don't feel that you have to be an artist...
The article, with photos of Canadian gardens, gives advice on how to combine edibles with ornamental plants in a garden. Along with the usual vegetables, there is information on growing small fruits and edible perennials: horseradish, asparagus, Jerusalem artichoke, sorrel, and rhubarb.
Unstructured time in nature is essential for our well being, helping us realize that we're part of a larger universe and seasonal changes. This book concentrates on the importance for children to spend time outside on the land. Reading this book led me to volunteer with the Landed Learning Project at the UBC Farm, where city children learn to plant a vegetable garden.
With so many great photos of front yard gardens, this book provides a great motivation to rip out grass in your front lawn. It features a few Canadian gardens along with ones from the US. It is a great book despite having few references to planting vegetables.
By now, everyone has heard of this book, written by two young people here in Vancouver, B.C. Unfortunately, because they lived in an apartment and were working in a tight time frame, they did not have the opportunity to grow their own food.
The owner of this south-facing garden in the Point Grey area of Vancouver remarked that they have not needed to buy greens for a number of months, and this October view indicates that there are many varieties still available to consume in this intensively cultivated front yard garden. The garden was enlarged recently to include the boulevard (area between sidewalk and street), and the Halloween display can still been seen there. Raspberries are ripening on the west border; on the east border is an attractive stone path.
