I spent some time outside today, moving the sprinkler around and working on the gardens, and made a key observation. The front yard, rain garden and front lawn faces north but is in the sun most of the day. The backyard with the garden faces south but due to the garages on both sides and large tree in the yard, behind my yard, is in the shade most of the day. Yet my vegetable garden, with plants that need sun are in the back and my grassy lawn that burns with too much sun is in front. The front lawn and the back garden should be reversed. Actually I see little need for a lawn and have managed over the years to have none in back and less, with rain garden, in front. However, I still have a lawn with grass in front. Sun is important for plants like tomatoes and basil. They thrive in hot sun as long as they are watered.
So why not plant vegetables and herbs in the front? There are two big obstacles, tradition and my wife. Tradition is the biggest one, for although more and more persons grow shrubs and flowers in the front yard, few grow food plants. My friend Godsil, who calls his gardens front and back God’s Hill City Farm is one who has food plants in the front and back yard of his house. Now he is single but still has tradition to deal with. The neighbors called the city inspectors on him, but the only thing they could do about his front yard was to have him make it look nicer with more wood chips. There are no legal reasons not to Grow Renewable Affordable Food (G.R.A.F.) in the front yard. Now my wife is another issue. She likes the rain garden in the front yard but still wants grass on the rest. I need to quietly work with her. Now I have ‘till next spring to win her over and have a raised garden, at least in part, of the sunny front lawn. Since she is Italian, the promise of tomatoes, green peppers and basil growing in abundance, might win her over. Maybe next spring I will have a backyard garden in the front yard where the sun reigns.
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