Who has their own veggie garden?

[M. (hristine]

I don't have a vegetable garden per se, but this year I have 6 kinds of peppers, a couple heirloom tomatoes, chard and garlic. Strawberries and 3 kinds of dessert melons. Plus tarragon, lavender, 4 kinds of oregano, flat leaved parsley, lemon verbena and three kinds of basil. 3/4 of my acre is in permaculture. I gather hundreds of bags of oak leaves in the fall for deep mulch, and I plant my veggies and herbs right in with the rest of the landscaping. No till, no chemicals.

 

Plus I have a compost as big as Analogman's living room.

[Big Perm]

That is so cool!

 

I was thinking of replacing the ornamental plants in a circular bed in front of our house with edible ones, but I'm not sure what would look attractive. Since it is the front yard I don't want tall stalks or vines running rampant.

 

I think it's easier for us to get away with some of this stuff not having quite a severe winter here, sure gets cold, but almost never snow, scattered hard freezes, I don't know up there, native plants and all. Oh well, it's hot already, but honestly I don't mind the heat. I like being out in it.

[explodo]

Last night my dad told me that he and his wife always felt guilty about having a lawn in southern california. With food prices so high, they've decided to tear out the entire front lawn and plant veggies. Neat!

That is awesome. Lawns are completely ridiculous in the traditional sense of the term.

[Lammycat]

That is awesome. Lawns are completely ridiculous in the traditional sense of the term.

How so?

[M. (hristine]

We grow awesome peppers for salsa.

 

Babies in the garden.

 

My garden on this moody morn. The catalpa is finally in bloom!

 

[explodo]

How so?

A bunch of grass that you have to keep weed free and perfectly trimmed to compete with your neighbors? Not to mention the environmental effects of a traditional grass lawn are less than stellar, especially where drainage is concerned. I'm not making an argument against shrubs and trees and flowers and whatever else you choose to put in your lawn, but where I'm from a lawn is 95% grass and you end with this sort of surreal, homogenized bore of a landscape in front of every house, completely devoid of personality and/or charm. The grass lawn, as far as I'm concerned, is as much an eyesore as the strip mall.

[Lammycat]

I can see that take, explodo.

 

I guess I was thinking, in the traditional sense, the use I get out of my lawn for my kids and dogs to romp on, as well as the feel on the feet, the smell of freshly mowed grass, etc. My lawn is by no means excellently kept (and I do plants/veggies/flowers around the perimeters), but I appreciate the space and the utilization I get out of my lawn, too.

[Mrs. Peel]

I think it's easier for us to get away with some of this stuff not having quite a severe winter here, sure gets cold, but almost never snow, scattered hard freezes, I don't know up there, native plants and all. Oh well, it's hot already, but honestly I don't mind the heat. I like being out in it.

 

Well, either I have a bed of flowers that dies in the winter and is covered with snow or I have a bed of veggies that dies in the winter and is covered with snow. But since it's in the front, I'd like it to be somewhat attractive looking in the process.

[explodo]

I can see that take, explodo.

 

I guess I was thinking, in the traditional sense, the use I get out of my lawn for my kids and dogs to romp on, as well as the feel on the feet, the smell of freshly mowed grass, etc. My lawn is by no means excellently kept (and I do plants/veggies/flowers around the perimeters), but I appreciate the space and the utilization I get out of my lawn, too.

I shouldn't have used the term traditional sense, because it doesn't accurately describe what I'm talking about. Older homes have decent lawns. I should have said something like the modern or postmodern/suburban sense. Like the lawns you see in housing developments bordering cul-de-sacs. So that is my error. It is probably a product of my age, with housing developments rather than neighborhoods having been my home for at least 17 of my 24 years.

[gogo]

A bunch of grass that you have to keep weed free and perfectly trimmed to compete with your neighbors? Not to mention the environmental effects of a traditional grass lawn are less than stellar, especially where drainage is concerned. I'm not making an argument against shrubs and trees and flowers and whatever else you choose to put in your lawn, but where I'm from a lawn is 95% grass and you end with this sort of surreal, homogenized bore of a landscape in front of every house, completely devoid of personality and/or charm. The grass lawn, as far as I'm concerned, is as much an eyesore as the strip mall.

I can see that take, explodo.

 

I guess I was thinking, in the traditional sense, the use I get out of my lawn for my kids and dogs to romp on, as well as the feel on the feet, the smell of freshly mowed grass, etc. My lawn is by no means excellently kept (and I do plants/veggies/flowers around the perimeters), but I appreciate the space and the utilization I get out of my lawn, too.

We have a biggish yard (for the city) that was mostly lawn, and required mowing and watering beyond what was sensible, way out of proportion to the amount of time we spend romping out there. The kids like it for soccer and playing catch when they come over, but considering that we live two blocks from Golden Gate Park, it's crazy to keep it in shape for their occasional visits when we could just walk down the street and hang out on the city's lawn.

 

So, we're letting the grass go, and I'm reading up on vegetable gardening (organic, hopefully) in our neck of the woods. We're probably just going to start with tomatoes, which are supposed to do well in this area, and then if that works out, we'll go a little crazier with it.

 

We're not gardening people, so we're going to start very small!

[solace]

We have a biggish yard (for the city) that was mostly lawn, and required mowing and watering beyond what was sensible, way out of proportion to the amount of time we spend romping out there. The kids like it for soccer and playing catch when they come over, but considering that we live two blocks from Golden Gate Park, it's crazy to keep it in shape for their occasional visits when we could just walk down the street and hang out on the city's lawn.

and here i thought i was cool for buying a house a block from a lake

[gogo]

and here i thought i was cool for buying a house a block from a lake

I'd be pretty damned happy with that, if I were you.

 

We almost never go to the park. It's a disgrace, really. I love that it's there, but we don't take nearly enough advantage of it.

[solace]

I'd be pretty damned happy with that, if I were you.

 

We almost never go to the park. It's a disgrace, really. I love that it's there, but we don't take nearly enough advantage of it.

 

to be honest, while it's an amazing park, some of the sites you see while wandering there are kinda sad/aggravating though too

[gogo]

to be honest, while it's an amazing park, some of the sites you see while wandering there are kinda sad/aggravating though too

Yeah, it's a huge political hot-potato.

[fatheadfred]

So, we're letting the grass go, and I'm reading up on vegetable gardening (organic, hopefully) in our neck of the woods.

 

I tried that, but am gradually breaking down and mowing. My grass is 4' tall. There are trolls lurking in it.

[austrya]

That link that Jorge posted didn't work for me. Is it the urban homesteading people? I read their blog and go to their website quite a bit. They are very inspiring. Here's the link:

 

http://urbanhomestead.org/journal/

 

I'm slowly starting to dig new flower beds and gardens and such.

 

We're going to look into natural/organic ways to fertilize our lawn for next summer so we don't have to put chemicals down on it. Has anyone seen or used this? It looks interesting. I don't think we have many earthworms in our yard thanks to TruGreen...

[Duck-Billed Catechist]

It's these folks: http://pathtofreedom.com/

 

Edit: yeah, the same

[Big Perm]

Well, either I have a bed of flowers that dies in the winter and is covered with snow or I have a bed of veggies that dies in the winter and is covered with snow. But since it's in the front, I'd like it to be somewhat attractive looking in the process.

rig a lawn cam, let me take a look.

[Mrs. Peel]

But then you'd see that said flower bed is actually an overgrown mess and any vegetables I plant in there are going to look better than its current state.

[LouieB]

I have grown veggies since I was a kid. I don't have a very large backyard and while city life may not provide the perfect setting for organic gardening I do the best I can usually growing tomatoes, beans, onions, herbs and maybe another thing or two (this year it is eggplant.)

 

LouieB

[Mrs. Peel]

I don't particularly like the taste of eggplant, but I'm in love with its appearance enough that I might grow some next year.

[fatheadfred]

I have grown veggies since I was a kid. I don't have a very large backyard and while city life may not provide the perfect setting for organic gardening I do the best I can usually growing tomatoes, beans, onions, herbs and maybe another thing or two (this year it is eggplant.)

 

LouieB

 

Share your experience w/ eggplant. I tried last year and the beetles ate the shit out of it. I tried diatamaceous earth. Locals say to use sevin dust, but my perception is some that is some bad chemical mojo?

[caliber66]

We grew the SHIT out of some eggplant two years ago in Providence. Last year, in the same organic garden plot, using the same stuff, we got nothing.

 

We are not trying eggplant this year in Virginia, mostly because neither of us eat it.

[Lammycat]

Isn't "organic" just without pesticides or other chemicals (i.e. water and sun only)? Who uses chemicals in their home gardens?

[LouieB]

Share your experience w/ eggplant. I tried last year and the beetles ate the shit out of it. I tried diatamaceous earth. Locals say to use sevin dust, but my perception is some that is some bad chemical mojo?

Yea, sometimes these kinds of crops can get funky stuff (I had that happen with brussel sprouts many years ago.) I just grow stuff and hope for the best. The most proactive I ever get are beer traps for slugs, but luckily in recent years we haven't had that much rain.

 

 

Isn't "organic" just without pesticides or other chemicals (i.e. water and sun only)? Who uses chemicals in their home gardens?

Exactly. But someone must, since they sell that Miracle Grow shit. My worst fear with urban gardening is the obvious lead issue. But apparently if you don't grow root veggies (carrots and raddishs and other good stuff) it doesn't transfer so much to the veggies such as tomatoes and other vine type crops. But hell I have raised radishes and onions and still eaten them.

 

Incidently if you have room, cuccumbers are a fun crop, but the best for smaller gardens on a good year are pole beans which keep producing until the frost comes.

 

LouieB