Landscape Gardening

[ontheairship]

Has anyone tried incorporating fruits and veggies into their landscape? Unfortunately my girlfriend isn't willing to buy a farm complete with goats, cows, and chickens so I must make due with what we have. We're negotiating between two different houses but in any case we will end up having somewhere between a tenth and a quarter acre. On top of that we have 4 (small) dogs between myself, my girlfriend, and our roommate so we are restricted to container or raised bed gardening so they wont run through it I got to thinking why not garden in the front yard? We will very likely be moving into a home with an HOA so we can't just have a tiny farm in the front yard. So how about berry bushes or lettuces in the front planter beds? A small herb window box? Just wondering what everyone out there is doing

 

[thistlebloom]

Somewhere on here there's a posting with an awesome idea for planting in gutters, I'll try to locate it, I think it was Potterwatch in CA. They made it decorative as well as functional. Okay, I found it... go here:
http://www.theeasygarden.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=30572

There's also a lot of people on here that garden in small spaces and I'm sure they'll be able to help you with lots of ideas.

Welcome to the forum too 'airship!

 

[Nyboy]

I planted dwarf fruit trees in my front yard. In the spring when they flower, great curb appeal !

 

[wifezilla]

We will very likely be moving into a home with an HOA so we can't just have a tiny farm in the front yard.

Yoouuuu'llll bbeeee ssssooorrrrrrryyyyyyyyyy!

I get a lot of copy and fax customers sending off documents, making copies, and sending FEDEX packets fighting their HOAs for things like gardens, gazebos in the back yard, and decorative rock. God forbid you try to put a basketball hoop up or pick the wrong color paint!


Anyway...if for some insane reason (like you love your girlfried and don't want to live alone on a farm ) you do end up in HOA hell, you just need to learn what ornamental looking plants are actually edible food crops. Rainbow quinoa, Love Lies Bleeding Amaranth, and flowering kale are three that come to mind.

Also dwarf fruit trees, berry bushes or nut trees. Don't forget edible flowers like nastertium and Johnny Jump Ups.

 

[vfem]

We will very likely be moving into a home with an HOA so we can't just have a tiny farm in the front yard.

Yoouuuu'llll bbeeee ssssooorrrrrrryyyyyyyyyy!

I get a lot of copy and fax customers sending off documents, making copies, and sending FEDEX packets fighting their HOAs for things like gardens, gazebos in the back yard, and decorative rock. God forbid you try to put a basketball hoop up or pick the wrong color paint!


Anyway...if for some insane reason (like you love your girlfried and don't want to live alone on a farm ) you do end up in HOA hell, you just need to learn what ornamental looking plants are actually edible food crops. Rainbow quinoa, Love Lies Bleeding Amaranth, and flowering kale are three that come to mind.

Also dwarf fruit trees, berry bushes or nut trees. Don't forget edible flowers like nastertium and Johnny Jump Ups.

I think its about time we start a thread with all the edible 'decorative' plants we can think of with explainations to their appeal. Almost like dictionary style listings for people looking to have a beautiful functional yard for situations like OnTheAirShip!


So Wife, I volunteer you for the job! LOL Just kidding. I'll see if I can get this started.

Something like:
Apple Trees - White or Pink blossoms early spring, easy to prune to a distinct shape for curb appeal. Completely edible fruits late summer to early fall. Available in dwarf sizes for undersized restricted yards.

Sound good?
'AirShip!

 

[wifezilla]

Excellent plan! Someone had their coffee this morning

 

[vfem]

Actually I am sipping on coffee now! Gives me a boost... but the brain will officially flat line by noon. Its in my nature! hahaha

 

[Rozzie]

I am prohibited by my city from having a garden in my front yard. However, I can plant things in my front yard: just not rows of garden plants or crops. So, when / if I run out of space in the BACK yard and want to go on to the side and front yards, watch out! First, I'll put some berry bushes in my side yards. Then, I'll stick some almond trees in the front yard. Then, I' could fill in with more flowerbeds along the sides.

Then again, maybe I better limit myself to some odd kinds of fruits in the sides. If I get behind in mowing or weeding the front yard, the city will fine me. They can't SEE in the back yard, unless they are already trespassing. The only way they'd know if I get behind back there is if the neighbors call in a complaint or if they are scanning google satellite images to look... It's much easier to mow a flat unplanted front yard than one full of trees...

 

[vfem]

I am prohibited by my city from having a garden in my front yard. However, I can plant things in my front yard: just not rows of garden plants or crops. So, when / if I run out of space in the BACK yard and want to go on to the side and front yards, watch out! First, I'll put some berry bushes in my side yards. Then, I'll stick some almond trees in the front yard. Then, I' could fill in with more flowerbeds along the sides.

Then again, maybe I better limit myself to some odd kinds of fruits in the sides. If I get behind in mowing or weeding the front yard, the city will fine me. They can't SEE in the back yard, unless they are already trespassing. The only way they'd know if I get behind back there is if the neighbors call in a complaint or if they are scanning google satellite images to look... It's much easier to mow a flat unplanted front yard than one full of trees...

Good stuff, I think this is where the dictionary of beautiful edible landscape plants will come in handy. Some people just don't know an edible when they see it and will think "SO PRETTY!" and go about their day.

Speaking of which, I have to go add to that list.

 

[ontheairship]

I'm sorry I never got back to you guys. Thanks to everyone for all the replies. Moving was a hassle and putting new floors in didn't make it any easier. So far the HOA has been very...welcoming. Our first full day in the house we got a notice about weeds in the front rock "flower beds". Well the house has been sitting vacant for a year...of course there's going to be weeds! At least let us unpack the toilet paper and figure out how to work the garage door keypad!

anyway, right now we are working on getting a fence up and that's a ton of fun. We have to submit everything in writing with pictures and samples of finished product for committee approval. Why not just tell us what we CAN put up and we will do that? Apparently they're trying to convert everyone to vinyl fencing but we have wood fences on both sides already so we're grandfathered in so it doesnt look silly. we're very thankful for that because vinyl is pricey!!

Right now the gardening is on hold. We are waiting for the fence to go up so we can put some raised beds in the back yard. I saw the comment about the berry bushes and am definitely going to do that on the side of the house in front of the fence line! There's a huge oak tree in the front yard so there's not a whole lot of room for any new trees but I've seen the 5-in-1 citrus trees at a few places and think one might fit next to the garage. Anyone have success with those? Remember I'm in FL so I feel I can't go wrong with citrus. lol

We also have to get gutters up to prevent the massive flooding in the front yard and once that is done we can actually landscape. I'll be back then with pictures of what all we pick out. Thanks again everyone