Tacky suburban veggie garden plans

15 years ago

So, I live in a suburban neighborhood, and I'm tearing out the plantings along one of our fence sides to plant vegetables. I'll leave the rest of the landscaping intact, for now. Is this terrible of me? I'm not sure that I care. It's a 6 ft privacy fence, and gets full sun all day after about 9 am.

Anyhow, I'll have a "plot" about 4 feet by 40ish feet. Is this a good amount of space for a few veggies? Would I be able to say... put up a trellis close to the fence and grow peas, with lettuce at their feet in front of them?

Here is the picture of the area I'm talking about, some shrubs will go, and some will be moved:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/bubbledragon/2662119781/

Here is my shortlist of things to grow, only a few plants of each, really.

Peas

Lettuce and various spring greens

carrots

kohlrabi

banana peppers

bell peppers

jalapeno peppers

tomatoes (thinking about getting "potato top" seeds, which are a local heirloom variety)

Sunflowers

Rhubarb

If I can swing it... I'd also like to figure out a way to put in a tripod or two for some "baby boo" pumpkin vines. Not -really- edible, I guess, but so freaking cute.

I figure the peas I could trellis against the fence, and line up a few sunflowers against the fence, and then plant at their feet. Is this crowding too much? What do you think?

(My DH didn't want to "ruin" the landscaping for a garden... but I think if I keep him supplied with peppers, he'll not complain.)

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Comments (19)

smiles317
15 years ago
A little late to start don't you think? Are you planning this for next year?
bubbledragon
Original Author
15 years ago
Oh yes yes, this is all next year. But... since it's quite a bit of work, I have to start planning now.
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engineeredgarden
15 years ago
You have the perfect situation. 4ft x 40 ft - I think about all of the possibilities. The only thing I see a problem with, is if you plant the whole thing - with short veggies in the front, and tall ones in the back- you won't be able to reach the tall ones, without stepping on the short ones. I would utilize the sfg method, and only plant the 2 ft closest to the fence. 40 ft of trellised veggies.....I can't even imagine how great that would be.

EG
holly-2006
15 years ago
I don't think that your plans are tacky at all. And 4x40? I'd give my eye teeth for that kind of space!

Have you checked out the Square Foot Gardening forum? The reason I ask is because gardening with that method in mind makes for a very orderly looking garden. Will you be planting into existing soil, or have you considered raised beds?

Ahhh, this is so much fun! I'm going to live vicariously through you, if you don't mind...LOL
bubbledragon
Original Author
15 years ago
The soil is currently about 1" of "top" soil, followed by clay and then fill. I only know because we dug the holes for the fence. Lol. I have considered raised beds, but I don't even know where to START there, and I also have to dig in that area anyway to remove mulch and a few layers of black plastic (though I think we got most of it out when we put the fence in.)

Thank you for your support. I agree that SFG looks like a nice, orderly way to go here. I'll have to look up some books.

As far as "reaching" the back plants, I think at least the sunflowers would be good for that, because they wouldn't mature until after whatever was in front of them.

Thank you so much for replying. I'm feeling a little better about it now. *glows*
solanaceae
15 years ago
My best sun is on a narrow strip mostly in the front yard but also on a narrow south face of the house. My veggies are in your face. The day lilies were already there but I started putting 4X4 SFG boxes down. I am also doing containers on the south face of the house where I stood for the shot. Some are hanging in baskets while other climb up a trellis from 5 gal buckets. I have some ornamentals toward the front to soften it up a bit. I like SFG 4X4 raised beds myself.
I considered removing the day lilies but it is a toad haven. I realized it is one place that they are not getting mowed down. That is why suburban America has wiped out its garter snakes.

{{gwi:89741}}

Veggie gardens can look very nice IMHO. Who wants shrubs and lava rock? Do not hesitate.
plant-one-on-me
15 years ago
Plenty of space to grow...I also like the SFG method. Is there anyway you could plant a couple feet away from the fence so you could get around to the back? You leave the icky black plastic, make a nice heavily mulched path behind the garden so you can reach into the center more easily. You could still trellis towards the fence side of the garden. I find that reaching into a 4 ft bed from either side much easier to work with, although even with my raised beds it is more comfortable on the back to kneel and then reach into the center.

This bed is 3 ft off the fence and 4' x 24'. I have tomatoes, corn, zucchini, bush cucumbers, lots of bush beans and an Aunt Molly's Ground Cherry. I also have a bed 30" deep and 16' long behind the garage. Reaching the vines (i.e. stooping) is a little hard on the back at times.
{{gwi:31471}}

Oh yeah, the best thing I have found so far with the raised beds is that: I control the soil, they drain very well in an area that holds water (and therefore with all the rain lately things would never have survived), it was easy to fence in to keep the bunnies out (then remove later when no longer needed), they are super easy to weed, and in the fall I will build some simple hoops out of PVC to extend the growing season and get an earlier start next year.
bubbledragon
Original Author
15 years ago
Ok, I'm sold. The sections of fence are 6 foot, so I think I'll make (for my first run) two beds, 2'x6' each, with a "spacer" fence section between them. (That gives me 24 squares - should be PLENTY for us, but there's also room for another 2x6 bed later.) In the spacer, I'll put up tripods for the gourds, and grow the rest of the veggies in the SFG, with the rhubarb at the very end, in ground.

I'll pull these back away from my fence a bit, so that I can put up a trellis behind them, and plant tallest at the back.

I like the aesthetic idea of tripod, raised bed, tripod, raised bed, (rhubarb.) Maybe not terribly efficient, but would probably be nice to look at.

Thank you so much again! I can't say it enough.
michaelnohio
15 years ago
You have a great space and sun for a garden. I have a small 4' X 22' and have 8 tomatoes, 4 sweet peppers, 4 jalepenos,2 habernaro, Tub of onions
I added a 4'X6' area with free standing trellis for cantelopes after I found out the first year they will not be tamed!!! Our kids are gone and the yard was just begging for something. A garden was perfect small enough to manage and giving both vegetables and a chance to do something out doors after being in an office all day Good luck. this fall
I dump broken bags or end of year left over, on sale top soil, potting soil on top of garden area and dig it in after a few years the soil and fill get mixed up and veggies grow very well.
User
15 years ago
I think it sounds lovely. Then again, I think vegetable plants are attractive all on their own. I have a 12 x 30 or so space that I have combined ornamentals with veggies, and have a mulch path weaving it's way through my garden, and paths through the width of it too. It keeps widening and taking up more lawn (which I like, and DH doesn't mind). The result is several beds that have mixed veggies and ornamentals. I don't have anything planted in rows, just kind of mixed in wherever I thought they looked nice. It's still pretty immature, only started it this year, but I love it. Also have a little retaining wall on the end and plans to get a garden bench. I find it very serene. Good luck, hope you love it!
tn_veggie_gardner
15 years ago
Sounds like a nice mix of veggies.
naturegirl_2007 5B SW Michigan
15 years ago
Sounds like plenty of space for lots of veggies. If you tuck in a few low growing marigolds, petunias, or nasturtiums here and there along the front edge and keep the rest well tended you may even placate the traditional landscape lovers. Me, well, I'd rather see veggies than flowers any day!
carolynp
15 years ago
LOL, I'm with the majority here. Also, on the sfg website, there are some lovely 4x4's that would go well in your space. Were it my space, I'd keep it to 2x4's and use the pictures on the website for inspiration. Just my 2 cents.
fishymamas
15 years ago
Keep in mind alot of vining crops look like the more traditionial ivies, morning glories and ground covers. I've grown peas, cucumbers and small melons on a lattace in my front and no one seems to know what they even are.
use2less
15 years ago
Since this is a plan for next year,look into lasagna gardening to build up your soil. You will need deep soil to grow root crops such as carrots. you can start right now to get deep soil for next year.I have alot of clay and using the lasagna method of building beds makes gardening easier.
calliope
15 years ago
You will be so glad you did this, I'll bet. I can't imagine a year with no vegetable garden. Yesterday I scooted past the produce section where the sign over the green peppers said $2.99 and $3.99 a pound, and on my way past gave it a raspberry. It saves us a bundle on groceries, but neater than that is the convenience of going out your back door to (and this is the best part) get a a fruit or vegetable you know is fresher, tastier and likely safer than one you'd get at the market.

As for 'looks'. I think a vegetable garden is a thing of beauty.
stacey_l
15 years ago
Vegetables are NOT tacky! I would actually love to use them in the front as part of my landscaping. unfortunately I have to surrond mine with a deer fence which IS tacky so I'm stuck in the back. Best of luck with it.
Stacey
solanaceae
15 years ago
Edible landscaping is an entire sub culture in gardening.

How about runner beans climbing up a Sunflower?

Runner beans
http://m.gmgrd.co.uk/sbres/498.$plit/C_67_article_2027684_body_articleblock_0_bodyimage.jpg

That could be really interesting.

Kale in containers is really quite nice.

Tomatoes were considered ornamental when everyone thought they were poison.

I personally find gas lawn mowers running on Saturday morning, sterile chem lawns and sprinkler systems that spray people on the sidewalk to be offensive. If I saw gardens everywhere it would be heavenly.
If I played music loudly I would not be surprised if the police showed up. If I played a CD of lawn mower noise at the same volume no one would even pay it any mind.
granite
15 years ago
Ok, my experience: Pole beans might run up sunflowers but they won't produce. Nada. Sunflowers draw enough light, moisture, and energy from the soil that you won't really get anything else to grow in the 2' or greater area around them.

I'd recommend growing the Sunflowers in intervals and not along the entire back of the bed. I love sunflowers but you'll need to have 3' deep beds for that at least if you want to grow something in front of the sunflowers.

I prefer 3' deep beds, it allows room for squashes and its not to deep to reach from the front to the back of the bed. At 2' deep you are ruling out growing squash totally and likely not giving enough room for a mature rhubarb. SFG recommends 12" square for tomato or pepper plants; but in the south most tomatoes need more room than that; more like 2' square. Cukes are fine with 6" x 12" if they are on a trellis. I planted my peppers in an 18" square this year instead of 12" square and I'm happier with the spread and production of the plants.

Tacky suburban veggie garden plans

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smiles317

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Tacky suburban veggie garden plans

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