Front yard gardening thoughts

Not so much by luck but by choice, both the homes we've owned allowed front yard gardens. However, our first home in the city was stricter about what was planted than our current home in a small town on the Colorado plains. Which is one of the reasons we chose to leave the city. Because even though our first house permitted some front plantings, they were very specific as to the ratio of plantings to grass. Here, there are no such restrictions. And you know me. I must be free to garden as I please!

For some reason, many municipalities or neighborhoods believe front yards should be covered with a neatly manicured lawn and little else in order to keep a tidy, uniform look. So much so, that front yard plantings are often strictly regulated. In some people's opinion, this adds to property values. Personally, I love homes with vegetable, herb and flower gardens in front. They're gorgeous and productive. I don't see what the big deal is.

In my opinion, front yard gardens are beautiful for multiple reasons. They provide food, for one. In fact, some front yard gardeners share their food with the community. They're less costly to maintain. They're a wonderful way to bring back healthy ecosystems, destroyed by years of maintaining an unnatural grass lawn. They also reflect the personality of the homeowner. I don't know about you, but I'm not into “Stepford” towns. I love diversity and variety.

I'm really looking forward to doing some front yard gardening next year. The old homeowners did us a great favor by planting a lot of perennials flowers in the front beds directly in front of the house. I plan to supplement with a few more. I got a good start on it last year but since we moved late in the season, I didn't have a lot of time to properly trim, mulch and such. I hope to be able to add some finesse next spring.

I'd like to ad some beds around the outer border of the front yard for a cleaner, more defined look. I've also been reading up on minimizing the grass by planting clover instead. I've heard it requires less work, keeps weeds down and uses much less water, while still maintaining a grassy lawn look. My eventual goal is to have mostly garden with just enough clover lawn for paths through. But that's likely to take time.

I want my front yard garden to have a healthy combination of herbs, flowrs, veggies, shrubs and trees. I'd also like a few wild native plants in the mix. Ideally, I'm looking to recreate the natural local ecosystem but add a few non-conflicting food plants to the mix. As always, my garden will be organically planted and maintained. No GMO's allowed. And of course, in consideration, it will be a bit neater than the back garden.

And speaking of the back garden, I had some containers back there this year. But next year, my focus is going to shift to the front. I want to spend my summer largely on “perfecting” the front yard. Even though I don't believe a perfect green lawn is healthy, I still believe in curb appeal. The front yard is all most people see of your home. So why not make it beautiful?

The plans I have for my front garden might not work for yours if you live in the city or in a neighborhood with strict regulations. Please don't let that stop you from doing whatever gardening you can. Planting diversity is good for the planet. You may be able to plant as you like in the back yard, depending on where you live. If not there's always porch or balcony container gardening. It's not quite the same as a full on front and back yard garden. But hey, it's definitely less work!