Poll: Vegetables in the front yard?

[mellifera33]

We have recently moved, and it seems that our front yard gets the best light. I mentioned this to my dh, and he was hesitant about planting vegetables in the front yard--he seems to think that it is rude? There is no HOA, so I won't have official busybodies critiquing my yard, but if I plant tomatoes, peppers, and eggplants in the front, will the neighbors be gossiping about me behind my back?  :lol: Would companion-planting with flowers be a more "polite" option? I guess I'm not really up to date on yard etiquette...

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[AK_Mom4]

Go ahead. Sounds nice to me!

[Ethel Mertz]

Sounds great to me as well! I've seen several front yard vegetable gardens around here. And, yeah, planting a few marigolds would be good for your garden as well. 

[Ethel Mertz]

Sounds great to me as well! I've seen several front yard vegetable gardens around here. And, yeah, planting a few marigolds would be good for your garden as well. 

[Ethel Mertz]

Sounds great to me as well! I've seen several front yard vegetable gardens around here. And, yeah, planting a few marigolds would be good for your garden as well. 

[regentrude]

No, it is not rude.

It may be frowned upon by neighbors in a society that is so affluent that we can afford to devote large areas to expensively maintained monocultured lawns - but it is not rude. Just like drying clothes on a clothesline is not "rude".

But you should check that there is no city ordinance that mandates a front lawn.

Edited January 8, 2017 by regentrude

[myfunnybunch]

Seeing vegetables in your front yard should not in any way inconvenience neighbors or passersby, so I say not rude.

 

When I see vegetable gardens in others' front yards, I slow down to admire. :) I've got three garden boxes and a side strip garden in my front yard.

[Guest]

Even if it WERE considered rude (and it's not), that's a paradigm to set on fire and let it burn asap (don't forget to sprinkle the ashes of the paradigm on your soil for alkalinity.)

[marbel]

Not rude at all, in my opinion.

 

There are a few houses in my neighborhood with vegetable gardens in the front. They also have flowers.  I think they are pretty and look nice, except in winter when no one's yard looks nice.  The vegetable garden yards are prettier to me than yards with a few dying shrubs, etc.  

[Lady Marmalade]

Definitely check for any community wide ordinances before forging ahead, but you cannot tell me a vegetable garden is any less beautiful than a flower garden.  We live on a corner lot, so my garden, while technically in my backyard, faces the road where a lot of people walk past.   I've had so many wonderful compliments on it this year!   This is what it looked like in July:

 

 

 

Keep the weeds pulled and the garden somewhat tidy.   Should any of your neighbors grumble, hand them a couple of tomatoes or peppers or a zipper bag full of salad greens.  They will stop grumbling and start admiring. 

[SparklyUnicorn]

Not rude.  But when we tried growing food in the front yard we had issues with people stealing. 

 

 

[SparklyUnicorn]

Even if it WERE considered rude (and it's not), that's a paradigm to set on fire and let it burn asap (don't forget to sprinkle the ashes of the paradigm on your soil for alkalinity.)

 

Yes, that along with clothes lines.  I think it's sad that some people have such an issue with them.

[Mergath]

Not rude at all. We have a big yard with the house sort of on one side, and the yard stretches out to the other side, if that makes sense. We have our vegetable garden in that part. It's clearly visible from the street and could be considered the front yard, depending on how you look at it. I couldn't care less if any of my neighbors are aghast that they can see my vegetable garden. I mean, ffs, it's a garden, not a giant penis sculpture with a fountain at the top. Who could possibly be offended?

[Guest]

Not rude.  But when we tried growing food in the front yard we had issues with people stealing. 

 

You live in just the worst place!

[Mergath]

Yes, that along with clothes lines. I think it's sad that some people have such an issue with them.

Our clothes line is next to our garden. We're rebels. :D Well, not so much. Everyone around here has a veg garden and clotheslines. But I would be a rebel if I lived in a suburb.

[SparklyUnicorn]

You live in just the worst place!

 

Oh and the crazy thing is we caught someone stealing from it.  You know who?  The mother of the guy living upstairs from us!!!!  I asked her what she was doing.  She was pretty embarrassed (and so was I).

[Lady Marmalade]

Not rude.  But when we tried growing food in the front yard we had issues with people stealing. 

 

Sad but true when it is within reach.  I deal with theft in my community garden plot, and I just always hope that the people who are stealing my veggies there are truly in need of them.

 

Of course, this last year I also grew my crazy super hot peppers along the border and there wasn't as much theft for some reason.  All it takes is one ghost pepper and they will think twice before helping themselves to the mini-bell peppers which look surprisingly similar. 

[Lady Marmalade]

Not rude at all. We have a big yard with the house sort of on one side, and the yard stretches out to the other side, if that makes sense. We have our vegetable garden in that part. It's clearly visible from the street and could be considered the front yard, depending on how you look at it. I couldn't care less if any of my neighbors are aghast that they can see my vegetable garden. I mean, ffs, it's a garden, not a giant penis sculpture with a fountain at the top. Who could possibly be offended?

 

You have no idea how much I now want to see this sculpture.  I'm sure you can find the perfect spot.  :) 

[SparklyUnicorn]

Sad but true when it is within reach.  I deal with theft in my community garden plot, and I just always hope that the people who are stealing my veggies there are truly in need of them.

 

Of course, this last year I also grew my crazy super hot peppers along the border and there wasn't as much theft for some reason.  All it takes is one ghost pepper and they will think twice before helping themselves to the mini-bell peppers which look surprisingly similar. 

 

We deal with theft at the community garden too.  And I hope the same thing. 

 

The biggest issue at the community garden is the freaking ground hog though.  It's so bad I keep trying to talk my husband into not gardening there anymore.

[regentrude]

Of course, this last year I also grew my crazy super hot peppers along the border and there wasn't as much theft for some reason.  All it takes is one ghost pepper and they will think twice before helping themselves to the mini-bell peppers which look surprisingly similar. 

 

I like the way you think :)

[TammyS]

I chose other.

 

I think it really depends.  If your neighborhood is generally full of lovely landscaped yards and you put in a garden of vegetables that look industrial, I think that's rude.  Or if you fail to keep up with it (let it get weedy or leave brown, finished plants in it), that's rude, too.

 

But I'm sure you can figure a way to make it look reasonably nice.

 

As an aside, I sort of get why some HOAs are against clotheslines.  It's not the clothesline itself, but how people use it.  I am a clothesline user in a big way (even if winter I often use the line, I say if it's 45 and sunny, the laundry will dry).  But I have neighbors whose lines are droopy and they will throw things on them that drag the ground, and leave stuff there for weeks sometimes.  Their clotheslines actually make me sad.  And I say this as someone who gets an inordinate amount of pleasure from a well hung line of clothes (makes me feel like I am in an Edward Hopper painting).

[SparklyUnicorn]

I chose other.

 

I think it really depends.  If your neighborhood is generally full of lovely landscaped yards and you put in a garden of vegetables that look industrial, I think that's rude.  Or if you fail to keep up with it (let it get weedy or leave brown, finished plants in it), that's rude, too.

 

But I'm sure you can figure a way to make it look reasonably nice.

 

As an aside, I sort of get why some HOAs are against clotheslines.  It's not the clothesline itself, but how people use it.  I am a clothesline user in a big way (even if winter I often use the line, I say if it's 45 and sunny, the laundry will dry).  But I have neighbors whose lines are droopy and they will throw things on them that drag the ground, and leave stuff there for weeks sometimes.  Their clotheslines actually make me sad.  And I say this as someone who gets an inordinate amount of pleasure from a well hung line of clothes (makes me feel like I am in an Edward Hopper painting).

 

I still think the clothes line objection is lousy.  I can't reach my clothesline.  If it were droopy, that might help!

[MEmama]

People here have gardens wherever the light is best, and hang clothes lines wherever there's room. I can't imagine anyone caring (negatively) about veggies in the front yard. I don't think I could live in a neighbourhood like that.

[zoobie]

I wish I could garden like Lady Marmalade!

 

It really depends on your neighborhood and how you plan on keeping your garden. I'd try to make it as visually attractive as possible. A guy a few houses up the street has two raised beds right in the middle of his yard. It looks nuts, but he keeps them nice and neat. It bothers me more that they are randomly placed in the yard instead of symmetrical. ;) Anyway, we have considered putting a garden bed in our front yard too. The back is super shaded from a wooded creek bed. I was trying to work out the landscaping options, but I don't have the mental energy to deal with it right now.

[Selkie]

I guess it depends on how uptight your neighbors are.

 

We have a vegetable garden in our front yard, but we don't have any neighbors within a mile of us, so there's no one to complain.

[NorthwestMom]

I nearly LOL'd when I saw this. We have a neighbor that has done this for years due to complete shade in the back yard. They work on the garden year-round in one way or another and I honestly admire their industry. It is a working garden, not a display garden, so some times are more attractive than others. 

 

We don't mind it a bit but my MIL is annoyed every time she sees it and has a mini rant when we dive by. But to h*** with her, I think you should do whatever you want. It wouldn't be worse than the former neighbors who had a real toilet with flowers planted in the bowl in their front yard.  :sad:

Edited January 8, 2017 by NorthwestMom

[maize]

I do it!

[maize]

It's not at particularly uncommon to see vegetables in front around here.

[Farrar]

Sparkly, I feel you. People steal our flowers and steal the neighbor's tomatoes. Urban living.

[Anne in CA]

I've done it. I lived on a corner lot where a lot of people walked by. There was a moderate amount of "harvesting" done by other people. My son had been watching the biggest tomato get more and more red, and the day we were going to pick it we found it gone. He was UPSET. Mostly the tomatoes were what people took, and I had lots, other than the really big one my then 4yo ds wanted to eat it wasn't a big deal. I wouldn't put corn in the front yard. It would be too annoying to wait so long and then lose it. 

 

ETA: I forgot about the pumpkin incident. Someone stole all our pumpkins. I was more angry than the kids. That was the last year I had a garden there, actually.

Edited January 8, 2017 by Anne in CA

[YaelAldrich]

My friend got in big trouble in Detroit (Southfield) for having her garden in front of her house a couple of years ago. Do check out the city ordinances.

[happi duck]

I like gardens. I wish I lived in a community that held to the idea that sunny yards should be planted with food. Weren't victory gardens planted wherever possible?

 

Alas, I live in a community that has green grass in front of houses...everything is very uniform. I think there might be rules or at the very least an unwritten rule.

 

If our front yard was the sunny spot I think I would have a veggie garden in the style of a flower garden, kwim? Also, I would plant veggies in containers that I could move to the garage in the winter.

 

Eta: growing up our fruit trees were in front and fruit got stolen all the time

Edited January 8, 2017 by happi duck

[AmandaVT]

I see people with veggies growing in their front yards pretty often. Not frowned upon at all!

[Lady Marmalade]

I wish I could garden like Lady Marmalade!

 

It really depends on your neighborhood and how you plan on keeping your garden. I'd try to make it as visually attractive as possible. A guy a few houses up the street has two raised beds right in the middle of his yard. It looks nuts, but he keeps them nice and neat. It bothers me more that they are randomly placed in the yard instead of symmetrical. ;) Anyway, we have considered putting a garden bed in our front yard too. The back is super shaded from a wooded creek bed. I was trying to work out the landscaping options, but I don't have the mental energy to deal with it right now.

 

Awe, you're sweet.

 

If you want to see my inspiration, simply google for images of French potager gardens.  I have a long way to go yet, but that is what I most want my garden to reflect. 

[gardenmom5]

I think it depends where you live and how it is done.

 

if you're in a hoa neighborhood - yes, they're going to say something.  they want a "landscaped" look to the yard for everyone's property values.

you can do fruit and veggies in a more decorative way so it looks "landscaped".

[Liz CA]

My friend did this and it looked great not to mention her tomatoes were fantastic. Don't think they had an issue with theft. She had her plot closer to the house and a would-be thief would have had to walk up the driveway to harvest.

[Rosie_0801]

Have a look at Rosalind Creasy's books. She makes some wonderful gardens that look spectacularly decorative out of edible plants.

[Rosie_0801]

Have a look at Rosalind Creasy's books. She makes some wonderful gardens that look spectacularly decorative out of edible plants.

[Pawz4me]

I don't think rude is the right word.

 

Here in suburban areas it would be viewed as more of a redneck, lower class or just plain weird type of thing.

 

But most yards here are plenty big enough that there would be no good reason to plant veggies in the front yard.

 

Get just a little more rural than where we are and people would probably think it's weird (again, the large yards thing) but I doubt it would strike anyone as a redneck or lower class thing.

[FaithManor]

It is a great idea. Right now urban farming, ie food producing landscaping is popular and food for the earth too. There several books available on ways to do it that makes the garden pretty. You could also consider things like dwarf cherry trees, and grapes growing on trellises which is also beautiful.

 

We planted a single Thompson green grape plant two years ago and gave it a trellis. We occassionally went out and tied a tendril to the trellis but for the most part ignored it. This year we got four lbs of grapes from it. It is very pretty, and we suspect that we will get 8 lbs next year.

 

You can also plant annuals between your veggies to spruce it up.

[FaithManor]

Not rude at all. We have a big yard with the house sort of on one side, and the yard stretches out to the other side, if that makes sense. We have our vegetable garden in that part. It's clearly visible from the street and could be considered the front yard, depending on how you look at it. I couldn't care less if any of my neighbors are aghast that they can see my vegetable garden. I mean, ffs, it's a garden, not a giant penis sculpture with a fountain at the top. Who could possibly be offended?

Now Mergath, everyone knows that a giant penis sculpture fountain as a garden centerpiece is a work of art!

 

:D

[Mama Geek]

In our town you have to keep the front yard mowed.  I haven't tried to plant veggies in the front, but it would probably be frowned upon.  Check it with your city first.

[Cosmos]

Ours are in the front yard, which is large, sunny and south-facing. Our back yard (small, shady, and north) would not work at all.

 

We have lived in a big city neighborhood and a small town neighborhood and the protocol in both is the same: do what you want on your own property as long as you follow city codes. So no chickens at our house (though oddly we could have when we lived in the big city) and no shoulder-high weeds or broken down cars, etc. Personally I love to see yards with personality -- flower gardens, vegetable gardens, rock gardens, colorful paint, artwork, anything. I don't really care for the monotonous look of most suburbs.

 

Lady Marmalade, how long is your growing season? That is a beautiful garden!

[Tanaqui]

Rude? Nonsense. Being a gossipping busybody with nothing better to do than to talk badly about your neighbors is rude. Giving the jerks something to talk about isn't.

 

But you may find you need to put up a fence of some sort - people will steal vegetables, and if they're very close to the sidewalk you might end up with, um, dogs.

[Heatherwith4]

We've done it before, and I care absolutely zero if someone thinks I'm redneck or low class for doing it. :p

 

I also have chickens and ducks in my backyard, so there's that. :)

[FaithManor]

Rude? Nonsense. Being a gossipping busybody with nothing better to do than to talk badly about your neighbors is rude. Giving the jerks something to talk about isn't.

 

But you may find you need to put up a fence of some sort - people will steal vegetables, and if they're very close to the sidewalk you might end up with, um, dogs.

This. Front yard gardening works best when it is a ways back from walkways, parking, etc. That said, the last time we gardened in our baxk yard with a short fence, we had people steal.

 

My apple tree was picked dry this ywar when we were away for the weekend. I had intended on dehydrating apples and making applesauce when I got back.

[Lady Marmalade]

Ours are in the front yard, which is large, sunny and south-facing. Our back yard (small, shady, and north) would not work at all.

 

We have lived in a big city neighborhood and a small town neighborhood and the protocol in both is the same: do what you want on your own property as long as you follow city codes. So no chickens at our house (though oddly we could have when we lived in the big city) and no shoulder-high weeds or broken down cars, etc. Personally I love to see yards with personality -- flower gardens, vegetable gardens, rock gardens, colorful paint, artwork, anything. I don't really care for the monotonous look of most suburbs.

 

Lady Marmalade, how long is your growing season? That is a beautiful garden!

 

Ha! I live in Wisconsin.  I have one shot at a growing season usually.  Frost dates are mid-May to mid-October.  Some years I can get in the garden in early April, some years it waits until the first weekend in June.  The end of the season can come early September, or this year it was the end of November.  

[JFSinIL]

As long as the beds are maintained and the veggies don't take over and are not planted too close to the street (or they may get harvested for you!) why not?  I mean, I would not plant a field of tall corn in front, or a squash or watermelon that might travel and take over the neighborhood, but tidy plots of carrots, lettuce, a tomato plant or two - who can complain?

 

[kewb]

Not rude.  But when we tried growing food in the front yard we had issues with people stealing. 

 

Yep, same thing here.  And I have such a black thumb.  I am so happy when anything I grow is successful.  I will happily share.

[Cosmos]

Ha! I live in Wisconsin.  I have one shot at a growing season usually.  Frost dates are mid-May to mid-October.  Some years I can get in the garden in early April, some years it waits until the first weekend in June.  The end of the season can come early September, or this year it was the end of November.  

 

Wow, I'm impressed. I will strive to make my northern garden as lush and beautiful as yours. :)