In article , lid says...
Being from a country where people considered their land plots as
source of food rather than entertainment, I have hard times
reconciling myself with gardening decorative plants. I personally
plant only what I can eat. Although I would not mind my spouse
devoting herself to planting flowers and whatnot, this is not
something that I see myself doing.

My question, rather, is, what varieties of plants that produce FOOD
can be planted in the FRONT yard.

snip

Eggplants.

Bill

Before you jump in, a few points to consider:

Have you thought about pollination? Your fruit trees and many of your
vegetables need to be pollinated in order to bear crops. In many areas,
honey bees are in decline, and you may need to depend on wild and solitary
bees. A variety of flowering herbs and ornamentals provide much needed food
sources for these bees during the summer months.

Have you thought about pest control? Fruit trees, especially apples, are
magnets to a variety of pests that can cause a lot of damage to your crops.
There are small, beneficial wasps that are predators to these pests (and do
NOT sting humans). Again, they need nectar sources throughout the year.
For example, I grow aruncus (goatsbeard), that is not edible but attracts an
astonishing variety of these small wasps when it blooms. Dill, parsley, and
fennel are also good for this purpose, as well as providing food for humans
and butterflies.

Birds eat a lot of insect pests, but they too need other food sources, such
as ornamental shrubs that produce berries, and they need cover in trees and
evergreens to nest in.

Have you thought about economy of scale? I don't grow corn, because the
farmer down the road from me does a great job of it, picks it fresh several
times a day, and in season I can buy if for $1.50 a dozen. Same thing with
potatoes--they are dirt cheap and quite good at the farmer's market. I do
grow peppers, even thought I can also buy them as well, because I like
varieties it's hard to find locally. Think about how you want to allocate
not just your money, but your time and efforts. I tried for years to grow
apples, with limited success. It takes a lot of time and attention to get
the disease and pest management scheduled properly. I now buy the bulk of
my apples, but my trees are still valuable in that they provide wormy apples
that keep the resident groundhog fat and satisfied and out of my vegetable
garden. The drops also feed a variety of large wasps in the fall that have
been patrolling my vegetables all summer. On the other hand, my Asian pears
are a great success. They take little care, the fruit is absolutely
delicious, and very expensive at the market.

Consider finding out what types of shrubs and flowers are either native or
easy care in your area, that are beneficial to wildlife, and planting some
even if they are not directly edible. Your goal should be to create a
micro-ecosystem that feeds you as well as the birds and the bees.

And it's ok to grow things just because they are beautiful. We need food
for the soul as well as the body.

Good luck with your endeavors,
Sue

--

Zone 6, South-central PA


"Ignoramus31046" wrote in message
...
Being from a country where people considered their land plots as
source of food rather than entertainment, I have hard times
reconciling myself with gardening decorative plants. I personally
plant only what I can eat. Although I would not mind my spouse
devoting herself to planting flowers and whatnot, this is not
something that I see myself doing.

My question, rather, is, what varieties of plants that produce FOOD
can be planted in the FRONT yard.

On 21 Apr 2004 16:36:29 GMT, Ignoramus31046
opined:

Being from a country where people considered their land plots as
source of food rather than entertainment, I have hard times
reconciling myself with gardening decorative plants. I personally
plant only what I can eat. Although I would not mind my spouse
devoting herself to planting flowers and whatnot, this is not
something that I see myself doing.

My question, rather, is, what varieties of plants that produce FOOD
can be planted in the FRONT yard.

Some things come to mind.

1. Sunflowers -- beautiful flowers that make nice seeds
2. Corn -- tall grass with some view blocking properties that looks
nice and is also obviously edible. Adds a rustic look to the area
3. Fruit trees -- great flowering in the spring and great looking
crops in the fall.

I am thinking of setting up a nicely decorated compost pile in the
front yard next year, and growing squash in it.

Any other ideas for food plants that look nice int he front yard?

i

Any herbs will be beautiful, as well as some peppers and even eggplants have
lovely flowers and fruit. Lemon grass, garlic chives...etc.

"Ignoramus31046" wrote in message
...
Being from a country where people considered their land plots as
source of food rather than entertainment, I have hard times
reconciling myself with gardening decorative plants. I personally
plant only what I can eat. Although I would not mind my spouse
devoting herself to planting flowers and whatnot, this is not
something that I see myself doing.

My question, rather, is, what varieties of plants that produce FOOD
can be planted in the FRONT yard.

Some things come to mind.

1. Sunflowers -- beautiful flowers that make nice seeds
2. Corn -- tall grass with some view blocking properties that looks
nice and is also obviously edible. Adds a rustic look to the area
3. Fruit trees -- great flowering in the spring and great looking
crops in the fall.

I am thinking of setting up a nicely decorated compost pile in the
front yard next year, and growing squash in it.

Any other ideas for food plants that look nice int he front yard?

Of course it all depends on where you live and the particulars of your yard.
There is no reason that the things grown in the back yard won't grown in the
front yard. I grew tomato plants among the roses one year. There are some
beautiful leafy vegetables. You can grow Swiss chard "bright lights." If
you don't care what the yard looks like, then simple grow what you want.
Otherwise, look though a seed catalog like Johnny's Seeds and pick out
things that look good that you like to eat and will grow in your area under
the conditions that you have.

I simply never tasted rhubarb. Are its stalks sweet?

i

In article , Brian wrote:


What can you do with rhubarb, food wise?


I cannot believe you mean it!!

Tens of acres of rhubarb are grown in dark sheds to produce the blanched
stalks and are as deliceous as any fruit. The plants are only used once and
replanted each year.
Others have provided recipes of which there are no end.
The actual leaf is known to be poisonous and as students we could detect
no difference bettween the chemistry of stalks and leaves.
Technically both are equally poisonous but our guts have yet to find out!!
Best Wishes

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

i

In article , SugarChile wrote:
Before you jump in, a few points to consider:

Have you thought about pollination? Your fruit trees and many of your
vegetables need to be pollinated in order to bear crops. In many areas,
honey bees are in decline, and you may need to depend on wild and solitary
bees. A variety of flowering herbs and ornamentals provide much needed food
sources for these bees during the summer months.

Have you thought about pest control? Fruit trees, especially apples, are
magnets to a variety of pests that can cause a lot of damage to your crops.
There are small, beneficial wasps that are predators to these pests (and do
NOT sting humans). Again, they need nectar sources throughout the year.
For example, I grow aruncus (goatsbeard), that is not edible but attracts an
astonishing variety of these small wasps when it blooms. Dill, parsley, and
fennel are also good for this purpose, as well as providing food for humans
and butterflies.

Birds eat a lot of insect pests, but they too need other food sources, such
as ornamental shrubs that produce berries, and they need cover in trees and
evergreens to nest in.

Have you thought about economy of scale? I don't grow corn, because the
farmer down the road from me does a great job of it, picks it fresh several
times a day, and in season I can buy if for $1.50 a dozen. Same thing with
potatoes--they are dirt cheap and quite good at the farmer's market. I do
grow peppers, even thought I can also buy them as well, because I like
varieties it's hard to find locally. Think about how you want to allocate
not just your money, but your time and efforts. I tried for years to grow
apples, with limited success. It takes a lot of time and attention to get
the disease and pest management scheduled properly. I now buy the bulk of
my apples, but my trees are still valuable in that they provide wormy apples
that keep the resident groundhog fat and satisfied and out of my vegetable
garden. The drops also feed a variety of large wasps in the fall that have
been patrolling my vegetables all summer. On the other hand, my Asian pears
are a great success. They take little care, the fruit is absolutely
delicious, and very expensive at the market.

Consider finding out what types of shrubs and flowers are either native or
easy care in your area, that are beneficial to wildlife, and planting some
even if they are not directly edible. Your goal should be to create a
micro-ecosystem that feeds you as well as the birds and the bees.

And it's ok to grow things just because they are beautiful. We need food
for the soul as well as the body.

Good luck with your endeavors,
Sue

"tmtresh" wrote in message
...

"dps" wrote in message
...
Assuming you're in a part of the country that experiences winter, I
would recommend against annual crops in the front yard. Your front yard
will look like bare soil (or weeds) for more than half the year and your
neighbors may be upset (depending on your neighbors).

I disagree. Many people plant annual flowers, and flowers such as
daffodils
and tulips don't keep they're foliage year-round (or even all summer).
When
vegetables stop producing, or are ready to be pulled (radishes, etc), you
can readily plant more. The ground doesn't have to be bare for long.
Vegetables can be very complimentary with flowers or other perenials. And
with things like lettuce and herbs don't have to all be cut at once. It's
good for show to leave the bulk of such plants. Even if he did cut them
all
at once, they'd readily grow back. There is no reason food plants can't be
planted as display plants or even in the same bed as non-food plants (as
long as you can tell them apart, you wouldn't want to eat non-food plants)
I
think it's kind of funny how strict some people are with 'flowers in
front,
vegetables in back'.

For the record, I don't have food plants in my front yard only because I
can't find any small plants that grow in full shade-- I'd love any
suggestions. My backyard is mixed-- strawberries, roses, peas,
cotoneaster,
lilac, raspberries-- soon to plant my annual veggiesand maybe some
geraniums.

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

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.

"Ignoramus31046" wrote in message
...
I simply never tasted rhubarb. Are its stalks sweet?


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

Ignoramus31046 said:

Any other ideas for food plants that look nice int he front yard?

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.

--
Pat in Plymouth MI ('someplace.net' is comcast)

Any technology distinguishable from magic is insufficiently advanced.
(attributed to Don Marti)

tmtresh wrote:

...I disagree. Many people plant annual flowers, and flowers such as daffodils
and tulips don't keep they're foliage year-round (or even all summer). When
vegetables stop producing, or are ready to be pulled (radishes, etc), you
can readily plant more. The ground doesn't have to be bare for long...


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 is no reason food plants can't be
planted as display plants or even in the same bed as non-food plants (as
long as you can tell them apart, you wouldn't want to eat non-food plants)...


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).

Jim Elbrecht wrote in message . ..
What part of the world/country you live in will help determine what
plants might do well-- as well as which direction your front yard
faces. My east facing front is less/more suited to some things than
say a north facing front.

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.


Ignoramus31046 wrote:

Being from a country where people considered their land plots as
source of food rather than entertainment, I have hard times
-snip-

Just curious, but where is that? I'm a native USAn & I still like to
make most of the plants I put in have some culinary or medicinal use.

-snip-
My question, rather, is, what varieties of plants that produce FOOD
can be planted in the FRONT yard.

You asked someone else what Rhubarb was good for-- I like it just as
a sauce with a dab of ice cream, but it also makes a great cobbler --
If you like marmalades at all, here's a simple recipe that is
scrumptious-
1lb rhubarb
1 lemon
2.5 cups sugar
slice rhubarb thinly - don't peel
zest entire lemon and mix with rhubarb
mix in sugar & let sit on counter overnight

In the AM, add the juice of the lemon & bring quickly to soft ball
stage-- Jar & seal. Good immediately-- better in a month or so.

-snip-
3. Fruit trees -- great flowering in the spring and great looking
crops in the fall.

I'm in zone 5-6 & was pleased to find that my flowering Almond not
only has gorgeous pink flowers in early spring, it also bears a bunch
of almonds. My peach tree is out back, but would look nice next to
my Almond. Neither takes any where near the care that my apple trees
do & both bear more fruit.

If you get lots of sun there I like my Lovage plant & it takes little
care-- Borage never did so well for me, but it is fun to eat the
flowers--- and speaking of flowers, be sure to throw in some
nasturtiums. The flowers & the leaves are a great addition to summer
salads.

Jim

"Pam - gardengal" wrote in message
news:5JFhc.634$IW1.102311@attbi_s52...

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


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?

This begs the old gardening cliché~~ "Do you put horse manure on your
rhubarb?"
"No~~only sugar!"
Best Wishes
"Ignoramus31046" wrote in message
...
I simply never tasted rhubarb. Are its stalks sweet?

i

In article , Brian wrote:


What can you do with rhubarb, food wise?


I cannot believe you mean it!!

Tens of acres of rhubarb are grown in dark sheds to produce the
blanched
stalks and are as deliceous as any fruit. The plants are only used once
and
replanted each year.
Others have provided recipes of which there are no end.
The actual leaf is known to be poisonous and as students we could
detect
no difference bettween the chemistry of stalks and leaves.
Technically both are equally poisonous but our guts have yet to find
out!!
Best Wishes

On Thu, 22 Apr 2004 06:42:16 -0400, dps
wrote:

tmtresh wrote:

...I disagree. Many people plant annual flowers, and flowers such as daffodils
and tulips don't keep they're foliage year-round (or even all summer). When
vegetables stop producing, or are ready to be pulled (radishes, etc), you
can readily plant more. The ground doesn't have to be bare for long...


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 is no reason food plants can't be
planted as display plants or even in the same bed as non-food plants (as
long as you can tell them apart, you wouldn't want to eat non-food plants)...


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).

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