Feel free to borrow ideas from the front yard edible garden makeover I designed for the "Garden Police" show I hosted with Michael Glassman.

It's a fan favorite!

Shirley Bovshow "EdenMaker"
Garden World Report Show

Here is a link that might be useful: Front Yard Vegetable Garden Makeover

They're not the greatest looking things in the world (far from it), but I'm in love with the raised beds I put into my front yard because of their functionality.

I made a photo thread about them from beginning to end in Oct. '09 here, if you want to check it out, but be forewarned, it is filled with big photos, so if you're on a slower connection, it may take a while to load.

Here is a link that might be useful: front yard raised beds

I'm open to any suggestions and am looking for inspiration!

Because I'm land-locked, I've also had to create raised beds in the front yard.

Basically I made two 4-foot wide by 20-foot long beds with two feet between them. Then at the very front (south side), the walk-way in the middle is closed off - so that gave me an extra 2-foot by 4-foot area (where there otherwise would have been a path.

{{gwi:45500}}

I also have some strawberry beds and a grape trellis in the front yard.

{{gwi:45501}}

Here is a link that might be useful: My Garden Blog

Check out this guys front yard raised beds.. may give you some inspiration
He also has a video of installation of the irrigation and raised beds.. pretty cool. good luck

Here is a link that might be useful: growinyourgreens.com

Bsntech, that strawberry bed/trellis combo looks really nice!

Hey shirley_edenmaker . Question about the artichoke plant in the urn. It looks pretty but I thought artichokes need a lot of root room. Does that urn provide it enough room to grow and flower?

This may be a bit off topic. But I was also looking for frontyard lawn replacement which may be able to resist herds of rabbits, deers, and turkey. I found this other thread on the forum. It's not raised bed or veggie garden, but definitely good looking and water smart.

The images of bahia's garden are here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/20217462@N02/5595413359/in/set-72157626442938528

Here is a link that might be useful: Gardenweb: Instead of lawn in a front garden

Bsntech- Great use of a small area. I like your raised garden bed and trellis. Must be nice when it is full of edibles!

Lnewport- You are correct in that artichokes need a large container. The container in the photo looks small but is a 24' container and taller than that. Heavy too. In general artichokes do best in the ground.

Robertlovesmater- Nice share with the video. I like his series. Practical info.

Shirley Bovshow

Here is a link that might be useful: Eden Makers Blog

I hate to say it, but keep theft of veggies in mind too. I don't know what your neighborhood is like, but lots of GW threads through the years of fruits & veggies being grabbed when they are too visible or accessible. I keep it it to interspersed alliums or herbs out front partially because of that.

My Homeowners Association does not allow vegetable gardening in the front yard. I plan on planting Sunflowers in the front yard next week though. They are a flower aren't they?

bsntech I really like your berry beds and grape trellis too. Where I grew up the kids would eat all you fruit before you could harvest it. I like the shape and functionality of your "U" shaped bed. I'm just a little worried its going to collapse before the season is over if it doesn't get staked better.

Most veggies gardens look like farms. Therefore, I dont think planting corn, tomatoes, pumpkins, beans... in front yard is a nice thing to do. But with some forethoughts and planning you can have beautiful herbs incorporated into flower beds. some veggies/herbs do flower ,like chives, onions, lavender, sage, thyme, chamomile. Ornamental mini peppers are also attractive. But I think you need to have a nice design. An architect's service can be of help.

thisisme -

The first part of the raised bed was constructed two years ago now. I built the second part of the raised bed last year about this time - so they have withstood well.

I'm not sure what you mean by staking the beds - but I use 1" x 6" treated wood and then at the ends I have 2x2 treated wood that is driven into the ground. Also at the 10-foot mark, I have a 1x6 connected to the boards and driven into the ground.

I did have to put in some rebar this year on the side right next to the driveway - where I basically have two 1x6 pieces on top of one another. It was bowing out towards the driveway - but the rebar took care of it.

Here is a link that might be useful: My Garden Blog

thisisme, there are numerous edibles which also happen to be ornamentals, especially herbs and, as seysonn points out, hot peppers. Sweet potatoes are in almost every generic retail street scape here, and many types of viburnum make excellent foundation plants. Both examples may not do well in AZ, but I am sure you have more regional options. Espallier tree fruit may also be acceptable to your HOA if done tastefully.

bsntech my comment about stakes was because of the leaning nature of your 1"X6" material. However if it works I guess its all good. My spell checker always asks me to change your user name to "stench".lol

seysonn I have herbs growing in the backyard. No need to grow more in the front. I get the point though. There must be something else edible I can grow in the front yard that won't be against the rules or considered an eyesore.

alabamanicole I have roughly 50 fruit trees not including nearly that many cuttings currently rooting. I'm not sure if fruit trees are allowed in the front yards here though. Out of the roughly 250 homes in our association I can see lots of fruit trees in the backyards and not one in any front yard. I guess its time to give them a call and find out.

Hi
This is in our back yard, not the front yard....but it still may offer some ideas. We have a tiny lot with only one portion of the back yard that gets sun (our front yard is shaded for a lot of the day). Over the past couple of years we built three raised beds for organic veggies. The first two beds are in our main perennial garden and the last one is in a wide border at the side of the house. I think vegetables look gorgeous with flowers and other plants.

A few links to the site are pasted here but if you scroll through the albums you might get a better idea about what I'm talking about.

http://gardenpictures20bayview.shutterfly.com/pictures/70
http://gardenpictures20bayview.shutterfly.com/pictures/40

Also, my father-in-law lives in a house in St Paul, MN where they have alleys between the lots. He doesn't really have any sun in the yard, and doesn't really have a formal garden, front or back, but he does plant his tomatoes in the higher ground in the alley - they love that spot and flourish every year.

If you create a nice design to your garden, whether you plant it full of flowers, herbs, fruit or veggies...it will look beautiful. Just keep in mind that big veggies that sprawl, will probably do better in the backyard in a bigger area...so corn, pumpkins, potatoes and bean/pea teepees could be a great addition for a kids' area.

You can train climbing peas and beans on an arch or trellis, along with cherry tomatoes and smaller squash/melons (if you support the fruit). Check out Rosalind Creasy's garden on the Internet (see link below) or get her book "Edible Landscape" for more great ideas. If you have the space, dwarf fruit trees make a great addition to the garden, too!

Here's a picture of my kitchen garden, which is still 'under construction' but you can see the overall layout and arches/arbor. The two arches on the side, have been moved into the border this spring, shown in the third picture.

A heavier arbor could support grapes, but I'm staying with clematis, due to mom's recent allergic reation to yellow jackets. Roses and black or purple raspberries, along with blueberries, make great borders around the edges of the garden :)

{{gwi:25285}}

{{gwi:45502}}

{{gwi:45503}}

Here is a link that might be useful: Rosalind Creasy's garden

I didn't see this thread earlier. Our front yard veggie garden looks more like a community garden...but for now it works. We began construction on the other side yesterday (well, the 'latest' construction :)
It is a little rough looking yet, because the beds are not totally full and planted, but you get the idea.
{{gwi:45504}}
This is the view from the street.

{{gwi:45505}}
This is the view from the house, I am probably going to switch the pattern of the beds and use this stacked concrete everywhere in the garden eventually. I love the look, and the strawberries LOVE this concrete!
{{gwi:45506}}
Right now this is the front entrance. I'm not in love with all the layout, but when the new fence goes in, I can begin changing more things (in the fall). Right now I am mostly concerned with good space for larger production of food. I like it pretty, but that follows close behind!
{{gwi:45507}}
this is the latest work. There's a wide circular cement walkway which will have garden beds outside and inside and will have arches over the walkway for vertical vegetables and roses (alternating). Thyme will be featured between the stones, perhaps also some strawberries. The middle bed has been a Hmmmm, I may just add pollinating attractor plants there.

We live in a Duplex and I really wanted to start a vegetable garden. At first I thought we were moving so I potted them all. Then we would up staying. Sooo... I needed a place to put them all where it was less maintanence from watering every day. So along the front sidewalk they went! These are pics from last year. It expanded a little bit more this year lol.

{{gwi:45215}}
{{gwi:45508}}
{{gwi:45509}}

Fine Gardening just had an issue with an article on a front yard veggie garden. The June 2011 issue on page 60.

For the most part, we have the mixed blessing/curse of sugar sand. Which makes it really easy to dig out sand to create raised bed. So, I might dig out 6" then put in a 4" edge and have a 10" 'raised' bed. Plus, as permanent plantings grow in; I have sneaky plans to raise the height of the current beds.

I guess it is time to go get some current shots. But, this will give some ideas for what I have done so far. Tis all a learning experience, but even in my 'hood there have been no complaints about veggies in the front yard. Heck, most of the people don't realize the garden is a veggie garden.

The best advice I can give you is - don't plant in rows or squares. Mix it up. Though, I do have to say it makes planning a challenge.

{{gwi:45510}}

To the lower left, you can see one of my new beds where I am experimenting with tiers, to allow me to get more depth in parts of the garden.

{{gwi:45511}}

On the left, you can see the other section of the new bed. It is still marinating and is currently holding pots. I am planting a perennial border around the bed, and once it has taken on good growth then I will raise this bed another 6". In the background center you can see a raised bed created with large field stone.

{{gwi:45512}}

Here is an older picture that shows a bit more of the overall form. I try to avoid square/rectangular boxes. I do have them, but then they have outer areas that are bordered with 'sexy curves'. Or meandering pathways.

I would love to be able to do all our raised beds in stone, or something more architecturally interesting. Not in the cards for us right now, so I am working to grow visually pleasing plants on the borders.

{{gwi:45513}}

{{gwi:45514}}

{{gwi:45515}}

I have tried to place my 'bones' of the garden so there will be something pleasing to see even when no edibles are present. Bones can be hardscape, paths, perennials. I am working on having edges be mostly flowering annuals, bulbs or something with interesting borderish color. Then for the edibles, mix it up. And let stuff bolt; the flowers and seed pods add interest to the garden. I think.

I'm still learning a lot myself. Experiment and see what works. Having a planting plan and plants growing up to go in harvested spots is my current challenge.

Lack of full sun gardening spots is only part of my challenge. The other is funky mobility. So, I have wide paths and I have as many things I can spread around to grab hold of for balance and to lean my crutches against. It all works to add to the cottage'ie feel of the veggie garden though ... at least I tell myself.

~dianne

My computer is too slow to look at everyone's gardens, but I personally think vege gardens are beautiful (until the Aug/Sept skraggely stage! LOL)
I'm out in the country, surrounded (landlocked) by farms, so no yard restrictions here!
I would suggest looking at the cottage or pottager type gardens in the cottage/pottager sections here. Many of them have just wonderful ways of converting front and back yards into wonderlands!
I am, unfortunately, restricted to raised beds, lined with wire, due to the severe gopher problems in our area. I make due with an herb garden done in pots and decorated with tons of (edible) flowers and a few gnomes!
The rest are raised beds with fun stuff in them (which I'm sure are against the HOA laws!)
Sounds like Lg veges, back yard, herbs/ pretty veges front yard with a plan!
Good luck! Nancy

Kon,
That was a great planting, you made it look like a professional landscape with the use of those plants. You will have to keep us posted with more pictures later on in the season.

gardengimp,
Looks like you get alot of shade, do you find that a problem? What is it that you manage to grow in the shade?

Looks like you get alot of shade, do you find that a problem? What is it that you manage to grow in the shade?

The shade is certainly a mixed blessing!

This photo I am facing south as I took the picture. This is my 'main' garden which gets minimum 6 hours to full sun.

{{gwi:45516}}

The two new raised beds are along the driveway, and they are full sun. I needed a bit more full sun areas to plant. Hopefully, this will fill out to look nice and hubs will let me convert some of the ground cover on the opposite side of the driveway.

Thus far, I have found that collards, broccoli, and kale all do better in part shade. I don't plant in full shade, but I try anything I can in part shade to see how it does. I've gotten some harvest from cherry tomatoes and eggplant in partial shade, but generally any of the leafing veggies do fine. Next fall I'm going to try root veggies in partial shade and see how they do.

~dianne

Thissime, I bet you could get away with amaranth, nastituriums, sweet potatoes, kale, arugula, lettuce mix, peas, some types of beans, favas. All depending on the seasons of course. I always get comments on how pretty the chard is. It survives the summer in partial shade and the patch is two years old. Just mix veggies heavily with flowers. Also, my Italian parsley patch is 2 years old and seems to love this alkaline soil, it's very pretty and I use it like a green in soups, sauces, egg dishes. Carrots have nice foliage.
Peppers are especially pretty, okra is not bad and I love the looks of eggplant.
I love putting my nastituriums in salads. They make the salad look stunning and give a mild radish taste.
Some potted mint and bee balm would be lovely, too. Chocolate mint for drinks, ice tea, chocolate mint ice cream and cookies! Regular mint for mint chutney.
My lavender and rosemary are in the front garden. The bees love the lavender and both plants love the poor soil I put them in. I'm going to get a bunch of lavender to put along the driveway since it's so pretty, hardy,, drought tolerant and beneficial.

here are 2 pictures from last year:
{{gwi:45517}}
{{gwi:45518}}]

I just planted this years "crop":
Along the fence I have sweet peas for now. I have just planted chayote and cucumbers for later. The beds have corn, zucchini, peppers,sweet potato, soy and green beans, tomatoes, berries, strawberries and dahlias. I have an eggplant in a pot, and a cherry tomato in a wine barrel. Oh, and artichoke on the parkway.
{{gwi:15884}}
{{gwi:45519}}
{{gwi:45520}}

Did I mention someone took all my artichokes? )except the tiny ones?)

I've considered this myself, but haven't implemented it. I would suggest rhubarb (let them flower!), asparagus, dill, fennel, culinary sage, strawberries (esp. the alpine ones). Some of the kales and swiss chards are also quite decorative, either colorwise or texturewise.