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    Home » Garden Stuff » Vegetable Gardening

    Front Yard Vegetable Garden! Revealed.

    May 21, 2012 by Karen 124 Comments

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    It's done. Kind of. Actually it's not done. A vegetable garden is never really "done". It's what's known as a constant work in progress.

    So, more preciesely, it's done more than the last time you saw it.

    I welcome you to (but keep your paws off my vegetables) my Front Yard Vegetable Garden.

    Front W- Rose

    As you can see, I ended up leaving some grass.  I went back and forth about whether or not to have grass but finally ended up deciding, even though I know it uses up a lot of water, it's a lot of work and prone to up and dying ... I like it.  I mean, those things don't stop me from owning pets so ....  I'd like to introduce you to my newest pet; Blade.

    It adds a nice amount of green and it's soft on  my feet.   Plus it plain old looks pretty.

     

    If you read this, you know the baskets all around are filled with seed potatoes.
    Whole Front 2

     

    The left side of the garden has radishes, beets, Kale, spinach, swiss chard, all kinds of lettuces, herbs, peas, fennel and to the far left, a couple of the heirloom tomatoes I grew.  Unlike regular tomatoes from the garden centre the heirlooms will grow very tall.  Heirloooms are "indeterminate" which means their height and size isn't pre-determined.  Most garden centre tomatoes have been hybridized and genetically altered to make them "determinate".  A specific size that they grow to and then stop.  I knew heirlooms could grow very tall, but was shocked, stunned and kind of frightened when a reader commented that hers had grown to 14 feet. That's not a tomato.  That's a character in a Brother's Grimm story.

     

    Of course the height is determined a little bit by the length of your growing season.  So hopefully mine won't go too far past the 6 ft bamboo tee pee I'm supporting them on. Eep.

    Front Left

     

    You've probably noticed my wooden board in other pictures.  Because I only have access to my garden from one side, I've left strips of soil that aren't planted with anything.  I can then lay the board down onto any of those strips and stand on it to weed and pick the vegetables all around me.  Otherwise I'd be stomping down and compacting the soil.  Works great.

    Front Centre

     

    The right side of the garden also has radishes, beets, peas and swiss chard.  Then there's carrots, zucchini, acorn squash, potatoes, and a spot where sweet potatoes will go once the soil gets a bit warmer.

    Right Front

     

    This I am proud to announce is my first pick from the garden.  A French Breakfast Radish  as grown from seed.  (purchased from Cubits)

     

     

    The entire outside of the garden is still filled with perennials like roses, phlox, lavender and other english garden staples.  BUT ...

    Side Through Picket

     

    I've also filled in areas with rows of a variety of potatoes.  They're planted in baskets and right in the soil.

    Side From Back

     

    Seriously.  Wherever I could shove a basket of potatoes I did.  In this case the potatoes have lupins on one side, peonies on the other and ...

    Potatoes &amp ;- Peas

     

    Peas right behind it.

    Peas

     

    The general look of the garden is organized but not pretty, perfect, cutsie.  I can't even begin to tell you how much fun it is to come out and see how much everything has grown overnight.  In a few more days I'll have more radishes to pick and the lettuce is just about ready to use tiny bits in salads.

    I'M FREAKING OUT.  It's so very, very exciting.

     

    Front 2

     

    I grew 80% of the plants myself from seed, like the heirloom tomatoes.  The two at the front are Black Krim (a dark, almost black tomato) and Costoluto Genovese (a large irregular shaped, scalloped tomato).

    Tomato Cages

     

    As the tomato grows I'll just loosely tie it to the tee pee to keep it from toppling.

    Black Krim Tomato

     

    The basil I grew from seed ... the parsley I did not.

    Basil

    Would you like to save this stuff?

    We'll email you this post, so you can refer to it later.

     

    This big, puff of a bee was with me ALL day.  He didn't bug me, I didn't bug him.  It worked out.

    Bee

     

    Bee Close Up

     

    Buttercrunch lettuce.  Grown from seed.

    Buttercrunch

     

    Mixed heirloom carrots.  Seeded in garden in April.

    Carrots

     

    Freckles Romaine lettuce.  Seeded in garden in April.

    Freckles Romaine

     

    Red and Green leaf lettuce.  Seeded in garden beginning of May.

    Leaf Lettuces

     

     

    Left From Above

     

     

    Right From Above

     

    Red and yellow onions.  Planted from dutch sets in April.

    Onions

     

    MY POTATOES ARE ALREADY GROWING!!!  Planted in baskets beginning of May.

    Potatoes

     

    French Breakfast radishes.  One of the many radish types I'm growing.  Direct seeded into garden in April.

    Radishes

    Whole Front

     

    And finally ... one of the plants I bought at the nursery 'cause I just couldn't help myself.  I love growing everything from seed, but there's comes a time in gardening when you're sick of waiting and you want some INSTANT gratification.  I got it in the form of celery.

    Celery 1

     

    I planted the majority of it in the garden, but decided to throw this one in a topiary cage.  Just for fun.  It'll probably die.

    Celery 2

     

    But until then ... I will sit, relax and enjoy looking at it.

    Celery 3

     

    This isn't  every plant I've stuck in the ground, but the majority of them.  I also have jalapeno peppers, green chile peppers, zucchini, a few more tomato plants, a bunch of acorn squash, some fennel (did I already mention the fennel?), and the plant I'm probably most excited about ... a Bay Laurel.  Yup.  Growin' my own bay leaves.

    This long weekend in Canada I got everything planted other than the Sweet Potatoes which I'll put in next weekend when the soil has warmed up a bit more.  And then ... it'll be done.

    Wait.   No it won't.  I already explained that.
     

    →Follow me on Instagram where I often make a fool of myself←

     

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    1. Nancy Davis

      June 20, 2014 at 5:51 pm

      Your garden looks so nice and neat. How large of a lot do you have? I am afraid that mine is a mess compared to yours. I invite you to check out my blog. I love the idea of growing your potatoes in the baskets. Were you able to find them used or did you have to buy them new? I found you through Pinterest. Nancy

      Reply
      • Karen

        June 20, 2014 at 8:43 pm

        Hi Nancy - My front lot is quite small. If I remember correctly my growing space is apx. 110 square feet. The baskets are peach baskets which I got from my local produce market for free! Good luck with your garden. :) ~ karen!

        Reply
    2. tricia rose

      June 12, 2012 at 8:06 am

      I know you have a house Karen, but somehow your vegetable garden makes me realise you really are an adult! Love it!

      Reply
    3. Amy

      June 10, 2012 at 11:06 pm

      Beautiful! I would also be very excited to have that lovely, cutesy, very nicely organized and happily growing garden. Good job!

      Reply
    4. Rachelle @ PictureSmiths

      June 03, 2012 at 2:00 am

      How lovely! Can't wait to see how everything is growing soon. I wish I had the nerve to plant in my front yard instead of hiding in the back. I suppose I just don't want anyone to see how bad of a gardener I am. ;)

      Reply
      • Karen

        June 03, 2012 at 9:57 am

        Oh I'd be hiding in the back too if I could Rachelle. No sun there though. ~ karen!

        Reply
    5. Jessica

      May 28, 2012 at 12:35 pm

      LOVE the teepee trellis. Very cool

      Reply
    6. Natalie Webb

      May 23, 2012 at 8:30 pm

      I LOVE how this is coming along! Wondering where all of the squash varieties are going to grow (those things get BIG), but it's looking gorgeous! And very homey.

      And now I have to go plant some sweet potatoes. Because that sounds freaking awesome.

      Reply
      • Karen

        May 23, 2012 at 8:40 pm

        Natalie - I'm pretty excited about the sweet potatoes. If they don't work out I'll probably dive into a deep depression. Where/how I'm growing my squash is a secret. Once It looks purdy and proves itself to WORK, I'll show it. ~ karen

        Reply
        • Natalie Webb

          May 23, 2012 at 9:01 pm

          Oooh, a secret? I can't wait to find out! In years past, those bad boys have taken over though. There have been summers where I have had to ding dong ditch zucchini on people's doorsteps, they got so out of control.

          My white whale this year is cantaloupe. I tried it last year, and it died, but I know plenty of people grow it successfully in Zone 5.

          I'll be right there with ya on the big garden project though. I have this massive undertaking going on right now. http://www.leavemetomyprojects.com/topics/grow/garden/the-retirement-garden-project/

          And the maples just dropped all of their little a-hole helicopters, so pulling baby trees out of the garden will be a top priority for awhile. You wouldn't happen to have any brilliant weeding tricks, would you?

        • Karen

          May 23, 2012 at 10:44 pm

          Mmmmm. Don't bother to get manicures? Does that count as a tip? Love your hair by the way. And I took a look at the retirement garden project. Yup. It's a big one! Nice beds. :) ~ karen

    7. Winegirl

      May 23, 2012 at 4:38 pm

      Hey Karen,
      Exceptional job! Here in the states, some subdivisions do have by-laws against gardens. (Stupid by-laws.) Friends got by that by planting veggies in among their flower beds and it looked gorgeous. Tightly spaced colorful peppers look great. Because I seed so much extra lettuce, I make hanging lettuce baskets and give to friends. They can hang on a porch or in the kitchen for that "fresh-picked" taste... lol!

      Reply
      • Karen

        May 23, 2012 at 4:45 pm

        I was angered by the "no chickens" by-law in my municipality. I would have thrown a big, old fashioned FIT if someone said something as stupid as "you can't plant vegetables where other people can see them"! I got my first 2 bowls of salad lettuce last night! A mixture of pretty much everything. It was great. ~ k!

        Reply
    8. Shauna

      May 23, 2012 at 4:33 pm

      I'm so jealous and inspired all at the same time. And, a bit overwhelmed. Your site is like Pinterest. I love everything. Want to try it all. Get all excited about how I can do it now that I have instructions/motivation...Then, I realize I barely have time to do laundry, so when do I have time for all of this fun stuff. I really need to figure out how to be a homemaker, so I don't have to work and my husband can come home to all sorts of cool projects I'm working on;)

      Reply
    9. Kristen

      May 23, 2012 at 12:54 pm

      What do you do if your peas get a bit sunburnt? Anything you can do to revive them? They are sad looking and limp and are whiteish tinged. I have watered and shaded them with an umbrella for a day in hopes they would revive, but they're looking sadder. Is it time to replant?

      Reply
    10. Marion

      May 23, 2012 at 12:52 pm

      Your garden is amazing! And what is more amazing is that you are proving to people that gardens can be beautiful, functional and 100% urban! Great job, I'm sure you and the fella (and all your neighbors) will have plenty of wonderful goodies all summer.

      Reply
    11. Debbie

      May 23, 2012 at 12:41 pm

      Beautiful!

      Reply
    12. Jan

      May 23, 2012 at 2:23 am

      Yay, I can see ALL the comments! No problem with deer or moose? I have to grow most of my veggies in containers. Experimenting with a 17 foot sunflower this year. Last year, we had a successful crop of eggplants under our mailbox. The leaves were so lush it actually looked nice and some Japanese striped eggplants were both delicious and decorative.

      Reply
    13. Heather

      May 22, 2012 at 11:21 pm

      Amazing job Karen! I knew you would be able to pull off a beautiful front yard garden. Hopefully you are starting a trend. And my first veggies were radishes as well. Have you ever tried radish pickles? I am thinking of trying them......Congrats on a job well done!

      Reply
    14. Janet

      May 22, 2012 at 11:17 pm

      Great job!!!!!! With all you've planted think you'll be feeding the whole neighbourhood this summer. What's even better is when that first knock comes at your door from a neighbour that forgot to buy something at the store. Your work has just begun think keeping up with the weeds and canning will be the next thing your going to be dealing with.

      Reply
      • Karen

        May 22, 2012 at 11:37 pm

        Janet - Not true. Sadly ... I have *many* things I'll be dealing with before those things, LOL. ~ karen!

        Reply
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