growing veg in a front garden

[DebbieP]

I'm in a flat at the moment and have no lawn, just a patio which I've stuffed full of pots! I'm dead jealous of people with real gardens, however small!!! Make the most of it and grow some veg I say, even if it gets nicked someone is benefiting - who benefits from a lawn (unless it's big enough for kids to play on!)

[MuddyWitch]

As you want the back garden for your little one to play in, I'm assuming it has boundaries? If these are fences or walls, how about planting pouches with things like herbs or cherry toms? I did this on a tiny balcony on the 6th floor in London many Moons ago & had great harvests. Some runner beans will tumble too. Good old hanging baskets are another thought; try a basket planted with the cut-and-come-again lettuces, spring onions or radishes.

Just a few thoughts for the coming year

MuddyWitch

[Rosendula]

Good advice MuddyWitch. I would add that if you do grow any food around a small child's play area, make sure you grow as much as possible as things do tend to get picked prematurely

[JulieSherris]

Good advice MuddyWitch. I would add that if you do grow any food around a small child's play area, make sure you grow as much as possible as things do tend to get picked prematurely

Yep - and if you have a fat smelly Basset puppy, put a double electric fence around your strawberries too - that's what I'm going to do next year - I might just get a few ripe ones then!
Just kidding - I'm throwing a sturdy picket fence around the whole of my growing area next year - that'll help!

[poet]

we've got redcurrants growing up trellis on our garage wall in our front garden, they don't scream out "I'm edible"

you could grow carrots in pots either side of your front door? That's what I'm thinking of doing anyway

[The Prehistorian]

I'm going to have a go at front gardening (because the back is in shade most of the day). I I get trouble I might try making up some signs warning people that everything has been sprayed with nasty toxic pesticides (it won't have been but how are they to know?)

[snapdragon]

I'm growing in the front garden this year - the back yard although south facing is overshadowed by the railway embankment behind us. When I can get hold of some wood I'll be adding raised beds. We're on a main road but with a fenced/hedged garden.

[Millymollymandy]

I'm going to have a go at front gardening (because the back is in shade most of the day). I I get trouble I might try making up some signs warning people that everything has been sprayed with nasty toxic pesticides (it won't have been but how are they to know?)

I'd have thought that the type of person who'd steal veg from your garden would be the kind that wouldn't care less about where their veg comes from so what they eat has probably been sprayed with nasty toxic chemicals anyway. Nice Ish type people like us who do care wouldn't nick your fruit or veg in the first place.

I'd just put a sign up saying that the fruit or veg you have is highly toxic itself, as those kind of people wouldn't know a redcurrant from a deadly nightshade anyway.

[Annpan]

Aren't they the same kind of people who wouldn't eat veg from the ground anyway? When I was young my friend's Mum wouldn't let her eat brambles because they had spiders living in them.

Good luck growing things in the front garden, I personally don't think you'll have much trouble if you are clever about it.

[MuddyWitch]

Just tell 'em it's been hexed

MW

[snapdragon]

Just tell 'em it's been hexed

MW

notice decorated with an appropriate scary sigil

So far the postie lass has said she will be eating my strawberries - I told her she was welcome - but as they're the wild/alpine type and many ripen quite white I doubt she'll notice them.

I've a feeling that ours may end up a la 'cottage garden' and I'll stuff things in wherever they'll fit

[thesunflowergal]

My front garden is totally open, and on a foot path so whatever I grew would be taken, vandelised etc. As I area is pretty small, I am using it for some herbs and edible flowers.

[DeneciePie]

We are giving it a try. Several neighbors have fruit trees in the front and they seem to be unmolested. We are right around the corner from a middle school with lots of foot traffic going by. My guess is that most of the kids wouldn't eat anything healthy voluntarily so it would just be a matter of mischief, which should be held down by our large front windows!

[SarahJane]

God luck with your front gardening. The only edibles I have in my front garden are a cherry tree and a currant bush. Sadly last year, someone pinched all the cherries off the tree.