I agree - Blueberries make great hedge plants - with white flowers in
the spring and red/gold leaves in the Fall. Strawberries make a great
ground covers. Fruit trees are all covered with blooms in the spring.
Brambles might not be so good, as they need a support trellis, but
they can cover a fence.

And if you are looking for some ideas - visit a pick your own farm -
Check out http://www.pickyourown.org/ . There are complete listings
for pick your own (u-pick, PYO, etc.) farms and orchards there for the
United States, Canadfa, Britain, Australia and New Zealand. The site
is free and easy to use. You can also find a pick your own farm or
orchard for fruit (strawberries, blueberries, raspberries,
blackberries, apples, etc.) and vegetables, pumpkins, Christmas trees,
etc. near your location. The typical harvest dates and other
information for each area and farm, are also present.

And there are also illustrated directions to make jam, applesauce,
apple butter, etc. They even have local weather (current and forecast)
linked in.Have fun!

Blake

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).

You might consider perennial crops. Fruit trees are common and can be
used as screens in the summer. Berries, particularly those that grow on
shrub-like bushes, can be attractive.

If appearances are a problem, you could plant a hedge at the front of
your yard to block the view of your crops. In that case the area used by
the hedge serves a function of a fence. It can reduce road noise. If the
hedge produces berries it can also feed wildlife.

When we first started farming, I had a similar bias toward food crops
over decorative crops. Then one year we grew winter squash and gourds.
Very similar crops. The winter squash brought in $.25/lb. The gourds
brought in $.99/lb. People are willing to pay for decorative items, but
food in this country is supposed to be cheap.

We now grow both food and pick-your-own flowers. The flowers are very
popular, and bring in more than the veggies in dollars/acre.


Ignoramus31046 wrote:
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

Friend read this book years ago, said it was pretty decent.. found an
url for it on amazon. This particular listing lets you "look inside"
and lets you look at the table of contents, some of the text and the
index. That might be enough to let you know if you want to try your
local library to see if it has it or can get it on interlibrary loan.
Even just reading the index or table of content can at least give you
plant names to look up.

The Complete Book of Edible Landscaping: Home Landscaping with
Food-Bearing Plants and Resource-Saving Techniques
by Rosalind Creasy

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg...16721?v=glance


Janice

On 22 Apr 2004 22:10:29 -0700, (Blake)
wrote:

I agree - Blueberries make great hedge plants - with white flowers in
the spring and red/gold leaves in the Fall. Strawberries make a great
ground covers. Fruit trees are all covered with blooms in the spring.
Brambles might not be so good, as they need a support trellis, but
they can cover a fence.

And if you are looking for some ideas - visit a pick your own farm -
Check out http://www.pickyourown.org/ . There are complete listings
for pick your own (u-pick, PYO, etc.) farms and orchards there for the
United States, Canadfa, Britain, Australia and New Zealand. The site
is free and easy to use. You can also find a pick your own farm or
orchard for fruit (strawberries, blueberries, raspberries,
blackberries, apples, etc.) and vegetables, pumpkins, Christmas trees,
etc. near your location. The typical harvest dates and other
information for each area and farm, are also present.

And there are also illustrated directions to make jam, applesauce,
apple butter, etc. They even have local weather (current and forecast)
linked in.Have fun!

Blake



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).

You might consider perennial crops. Fruit trees are common and can be
used as screens in the summer. Berries, particularly those that grow on
shrub-like bushes, can be attractive.

If appearances are a problem, you could plant a hedge at the front of
your yard to block the view of your crops. In that case the area used by
the hedge serves a function of a fence. It can reduce road noise. If the
hedge produces berries it can also feed wildlife.

When we first started farming, I had a similar bias toward food crops
over decorative crops. Then one year we grew winter squash and gourds.
Very similar crops. The winter squash brought in $.25/lb. The gourds
brought in $.99/lb. People are willing to pay for decorative items, but
food in this country is supposed to be cheap.

We now grow both food and pick-your-own flowers. The flowers are very
popular, and bring in more than the veggies in dollars/acre.


Ignoramus31046 wrote:
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


http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg...16721?v=glance

dps expounded:

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).

Huh? My gardens are bare during the winter, makes it easier to clear
out the leaves, etc. And my yard is one of the best looking yard in
the neighborhood, everyone comments on it. I have raised veggie beds
and perennial borders.....looks just fine.
--
Ann, Gardening in zone 6a
Just south of Boston, MA
********************************