Urbanity gone wrong

[Jenise]

Can you imagine having some enforcement cop show up at your front door to ticket you for having turned your front yard into a really beautiful kitchen garden? Apparently, there's a town in Canada with a law that prohibits more than 30% of your front yard from being planted to edibles. Nuts!

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/07/20/illegal-kitchen-garden_n_1687558.html?utm_hp_ref=food

Just another reason why I like living in the country.

Story has been updated positively; go back and check again.

[Jenise]

Yes, I saw that the authorities have come to their senses. But it remains insanity that it ever became an issue!

It has happened in CA Jenise and in other states. Most were overturned after a battle ensued. I'm know for sticking food plants anywhere I think they will do well. Sure would like to have one of those guys come to my front door

[Jenise]

It has happened in CA Jenise and in other states. Most were overturned after a battle ensued. I'm know for sticking food plants anywhere I think they will do well. Sure would like to have one of those guys come to my front door

Keep your hatchet ready, Molly.

I was thinking of Graham Kerr when I read that, and how he plowed up his front yard to grow food. I couldn't remember ever seeing an entire front yard converted to vegetable gardening, but if I drove past one I know I'd slow down and applaud.

I love the time lapse video.

Great video...My garden should look like that. We have long ago decided that having a huge lawn is stupid. We fertilize and water so it will grow...then we cut it. How stupid is that? Yes, our yard is pretty, but had I known 37 years ago, what I know now, I would have planted edibles. They are every bit as beautiful as any other plant, especially if taken care of as that garden appears to be. Love it! The sharing is the frosting!

[Robin Garr]

Mary has turned most of our small urban yard into gardens, but they're mostly flower and rock gardens. Our veggies are mostly tucked into raised beds in the back. I don't think anyone around here would complain about a veggie front yard, though. I'd guess about 70 percent of our neighborhood has converted lawns into gardens now.

I had our back yard plowed up about 10 years ago, made 3 distinct garden "rooms", planted flowers, herbs and flowers, and put gravel and slate over the walk areas. We like it much better. Though, we still have a bit of front lawn for curb appeal.

[David M. Bueker]

Love the concept, but still wish I had astroturf.

[Jenise]

I had our back yard plowed up about 10 years ago, made 3 distinct garden "rooms", planted flowers, herbs and flowers, and put gravel and slate over the walk areas. We like it much better. Though, we still have a bit of front lawn for curb appeal.

And your back yard is absolutely beautiful.

Our house is nothing but small gardens. Because of a metal fence, from the street all you see are gravel, river rock, two dwarf pines and a single bedding type of cypress. Once inside the gate, the front courtyard is paved but for a four foot rim of plants, a grape arbor, a natural slab stone bench and a giant manta ray sculpture that creates a sanctuary kind of experience. All my kitchen garden is within that rim, but for a rhubarb and a raised asparagus planter on the beach side that take advantage of the opportunity to put edibles anywhere they'll grow. It's amazing that for such a low maintenance yard, we still manage to mostly fill a yardwaste bin every two weeks.

Love the concept, but still wish I had astroturf.

You know, David, I had the exact same thought. Synthetic grass is looking better than ever, but we found it was shockingly expensive. Like $10 a square foot installed. Plus, it only has a lifetime of ten years or so because of the sun. I'm still looking for the right alternative to our thirsty grass, but synthetic did not work for us.

Walt

Just another reason why I like living in the country.

What Winger said. I have chickens in the side yard and veggies in the other side yard. Don't like it?... get the hell off my property!

I had our back yard plowed up about 10 years ago, made 3 distinct garden "rooms", planted flowers, herbs and flowers, and put gravel and slate over the walk areas. We like it much better. Though, we still have a bit of front lawn for curb appeal.

Jo Ann, you have a fabulous yard! anybody complains, tell 'em to go suck on a lemon until they get a better attitude.

I had our back yard plowed up about 10 years ago, made 3 distinct garden "rooms", planted flowers, herbs and flowers, and put gravel and slate over the walk areas. We like it much better. Though, we still have a bit of front lawn for curb appeal.

I have pictures of Jo Ann's yard in this thread:
http://www.wineloverspage.com/forum/village/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=24433&p=208875