Veg in the front garden

trailingspouse

Hi
I'm a regular elsewhere on this site, but not ventured on to this board before, so apologies if this is either a daft idea or already been discussed at length. I'd like to grow veg and/or fruit in my front garden.



I have no back garden at all, and not a very big front garden. It wraps round the side of my end-of-terrace, although the bit at the side is mostly patio rather than garden. It basically comprises lawn with flower beds, bordered by a low wall with railings (I'm growing honeysuckle and clematis up the railings to give us some privacy). At the moment it's all flowers/shrubs, but I'd like to grow some veggies and fruit - what would be suitable in a front garden? I don't think I want rows of potatoes!! It's quite a sunny garden, facing east and south but getting sun in the summer until about 9pm. The soil seems quite 'ordinary' - not sandy, no clay. I'm in Yorkshire, so we can get frosts quite late into the year.


I guess I want veggies etc that are 'stand alone' rather than in rows - and maybe quite ornamental too? And I could grow things in pots on the patio as well.



And along the same theme, is it worth attempting to make compost on such a small scale?

spadoosh

Im looking in to doing this because theyre just a huge waste of space and energy, would rather spend an hour every 2 weeks sorting veg out than mowing the grass.

This isnt a suggestion or anything along those lines as i dont really know what im doing and what im doing is for me and my garden.

Key thigns for me are low input and fairly low key. I looked at a potager style front garden as they are visually pleasing but they can also be quite labour intensive.

From that i pretty much decided on perennial veg and fruits . Im thinking lots of berry bushes, a few rhubarbs, a patio tree or two, things like alliums and trailing strawberries and a few herbs chucked in. Something of a foragers garden i suppose.

Ive considered chocolate vine as a more unusual variety in the garden but reluctant to think i can make it a success (although the ones ive seen have all looked good and healthy so maybe tougher than im thinking.)

Ill be coming back for any ideas!

Im thinking perennials so there isnt the completely bare patches you get from seasonal veg.

sheramber

What veg and fruit do you eat? No point in growing something you won't eat.

Fruit would need to be protected from birds.

Some suggestions here https://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/read-this/grow-vegetables-north-england-tips/

unrecordings

To Trailingspouse & Spadoosh - how's about herbs like rosemary, lavender, sage, maybe some lovage, sorrel & fennel for leaf

silverwhistle

How about runner beans instead of the clematis and you might need to add higher support (more privacy?)? You can get both red and white flowered runners and not to late to plant them in Yorkshire: here in Hampshire I've already planted out a few, including in a bed next to a trellis where they'll be competing with next door's climbers.. Last year they grew beyond the poles into an apple tree!

A row of lettuce or rocket would give you some leaf. Herbs as mentioned above: I've just picked some thyme and bay leaves to go with tonight's plaice, and you can't get fresher than your own.



If there is a patio area you can use pots: Aldi currently have some decent size terracotta ones, which always look better than plastic although you have to water more.

trailingspouse

Thanks for the replies. I eat most fruit/veg (the only thing I wouldn't thank you for are green beans!). I like spadoosh's idea of planting perennials. Rhubarb would work well for me, also berry bushes - hadn't thought of that. I used to grow herbs in pots on the wall at the back door - will look at doing that again. And strawberries might work well too. No point in planting things that are cheap to buy in the shops, and you can't beat freshly picked strawbs!



sheramber - I get no birds at all in the garden (spent a fortune on seeds and nuts and fat balls and got a single blue tit in 3 years!!), so it would be interesting to see if some berry bushes would tempt them in!


I think the next step is to have a good look at the spaces available and see what I can fit in, either in the beds or in pots. I'm quite excited!!

[Deleted User]

Do an internet search for 'Parterre' and click on the search results link that shows images.

Next search again for images of 'parterre vegetable garden design' to get some ideas of how you could lay it out more formally for a front garden.

trailingspouse

silverwhistle - I'm not keen on green beans!! It's really the only veg I don't like. Just as well, as it took a lot of effort to get planning permission for our railings, and the powers that be certainly wouldn't be happy if we went higher!!!


Spider in the Bath - you have a very optimistic idea of my gardening skills!!!


Looking at the garden, I have a couple of biggish spaces that might suit a fruit bush or two, an area that would suit rhubarb, and a few smaller gaps that might suit strawberries. Very excited. Shame the weather is a bit grim for the next few days, but hopefully it'll improve before long and I'll get cracking.

-taff

If you had a couple of planters, I'd grow strawberries in them rather than on the ground because the slugs will have a field day with them. If you go to any engineering firm, or metal frim, ask them if they have any packing crates they don't want. They make sturdy, if boxy, planters that can be painted whatever colour you like. Line with plastic, drill a few holes in the bottom and they'll last for years.

Farway

If there's wall space, or railing space, a trailing thornless blackberry, or train a currant or two?

For decorative borders, beetroot & rainbow chard

For strawbs, as well as the cultivated ones try some Alpine / woodland ones, they are only small but given time will spread unaided in nooks & crannies if they like it. Mine grow at base of a wall in a crack between that & the paving without any attention from me

MysteryMe

You can plant strawberries and tumbling tomatoes in hanging baskets