Growing vegetables in front garden

aylithuk

Guys. Some amazing suggestions here. I’ll make sure to revisit this thread and post photos of how I get on. 

On the subject of chives, I adore chives and have them planted in and around patio roses in pots. 

One of my borders for the back garden will be chives, garlic and roses. Got some landscaping to be done and guys start work on 15/2 - snow permittingl!!

Cannot wait until spring! The only things I have growing at the moment are chillies. 

Farway

twopenny said:

Farway, tons of seed produced from Garlic chives but seldom see them germinate. I've tried. The only time it happened the darn things grew in the middle of some flowering plants.

You're the first person I've come across who;s heard of them.

The irony is I don't like garlic , it's one of the things I grow "because I can". Mine seem to have settled into a gap between a small pond & a path

Oddly enough it's normal purple chives I have problems growing, despite it being like a weed in everyone's garden

Silvertabby

twopenny said:

Farway, tons of seed produced from Garlic chives but seldom see them germinate. I've tried. The only time it happened the darn things grew in the middle of some flowering plants.

You're the first person I've come across who;s heard of them.

I used to have some ginger Rosemary too. Useless but very pretty and lovely smelling.

I normally have herb pots, including garlic chives, on the kitchen windowsill.

Until I came down one morning to find the chives chewed to stubble and the cat with very stinky breath.

[Deleted User]

twopenny said:

Farway, tons of seed produced from Garlic chives but seldom see them germinate. I've tried. The only time it happened the darn things grew in the middle of some flowering plants.

You're the first person I've come across who;s heard of them.

I used to have some ginger Rosemary too. Useless but very pretty and lovely smelling.

I've not grown/tried this - in what way useless ? 🤔

Davesnave

silverwhistle said:

RAS said:

Consider training smaller squashes vertically as well.

Try to get hold of the variety Tromboncino d'Albenga. A productive climbing variety which I grew on my allotment last year, and guaranteed to be a talking point and cause a few giggles!

And you can always hit anyone who complains about veg in the front garden with it!

Twopenny, we've got loads of garlic chives and I grew a whole batch of them from seed last year to make border edging for the herb garden. There's also garlic cress, which is pretty, but fairly inedible unless you catch it right IMO:

https://theediblegardennursery.co.uk/product/peltaria-alliacea-garlic-cress

There's more than one variety of 'plain' chives too. We've been watching some in a very well known garden and even quizzed the Head Edibles Honcho about it, but he claimed not to know anything useful....which leaves us only one alternative.....

Emmia

I've got some ginger rosemary and it makes a very tasty "ginger" cake (with no ginger) - it is great with a cuppa after a day in the garden.

goldfinches

Emmia said:

I've got some ginger rosemary and it makes a very tasty "ginger" cake (with no ginger) - it is great with a cuppa after a day in the garden.

This sounds delicious, any chance of the recipe please?

Emmia

goldfinches said:

Emmia said:

I've got some ginger rosemary and it makes a very tasty "ginger" cake (with no ginger) - it is great with a cuppa after a day in the garden.

This sounds delicious, any chance of the recipe please?

I think it was this one (although I think I swapped the rye flour for normal flour) - it's a few months since I last made it.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/MGJf8bxFxwNqDB0N2HZnMK/pear-and-rosemary-upside-down-cake

twopenny

Catsacor I could not use it but my friend used it in curries. It's not that easy to come by but a beautiful lush plant with deep purple flowers and mine tended to trail but I did grow it over things to make it higher.

I love ginger cake but the rosemary was left behind in my old garden and the new owners have cut everything down to the ground.

Saw a cement mixer standing on what was a wonderful massive peony that had been there 30yrs. I could have wept. I could have taken it with me.

AstroSarah

I love growing fruit and veg in the front garden! Always a good talking point with people walking past, and it makes best use of the sun for us. We've got a mix of permanent planting (raspberries in that nearest bed) then space for other crops in the other 2 beds. Herbs and flowers (and tortoise food) in amongst it all. Lots of people comment on what a good use of space it is, and how they love to watch it grow and develop.