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Comment by Joan Denoo on November 30, 2012 at 7:09pm

College Park man fights to keep vegetable garden in front yard

Thanks to Sentient for this site. The front yard garden looks so healthy and I bet people take a little nibble now and then. Surely, there will be more front yard gardens when all the benefits, lined up against the costs and trouble of lawns, will win out. Especially as food prices rise. Hope he can get those chickens into the front yard for a visit every now and then, especially when bugs show up.  

Comment by Annie Thomas on November 30, 2012 at 12:02pm

What a wonderful story Amer! Are you known as the "Cactus Man" in your area?  I think you have inspired me to go out and get a cactus of my own. 

It's funny, as here in the US, many of the flowering cacti have common names associated with Christian holidays, like the Christmas Cactus and the Easter Cactus.  When we moved into our house about ten years ago, we inherited several plants that were left in the old greenhouse in the back yard.  One day, while cleaning up in the greenhouse, something bright red caught my eye.  An out-of-control "Easter" Cactus, Hatiora gaertneri, was full of the most beautiful, and rather prehistoric looking red blooms.  I moved the plant to a place of prominence in the garden, but sadly lost it a few years later during an unexpected freeze.

Comment by amer chohan on November 30, 2012 at 11:32am

Front yard gardening attracts passers bys and develops intrest in plants. I don't know what american behaviour is but here in pakistan most of people have only one intrest in plants i.e, eating them.

I don't know from where I got cactus addiction but I was amazed why such beautiful plants were such a rearity. I found the answer when I started getting resistance from people. According to muslims religious methology cactus is plant of hell and is going to be the food of sinners in the after life. Out of love of cactus plant I decided to introduce and spread beautiful species of catus in this society.

I learned grafting techniques and now I graft them and give them free to anyone who wants them. In the begining there was little intrest shown. Then I moved many of my plants from greenhouse to the places where they can catch the passer by eye. This worked amazingly and now a chain has started in such a way that people visiting to those houses where I have given plants earlier also come and ask for the plants.

Here in a muslim religious society my cactus garden is literly taken as  "Garden of a Godless". Many of them ask me if catus love has something to do with my athieism. One man even askd if all athiest collect cactus?

 

Comment by Idaho Spud on November 29, 2012 at 1:09pm

Since I've been building a storage shed in my back yard, front yard gardening is my thing also, and I've been getting compliments. 

One was from a woman that wanted to know what my garlic plants were :)  One from a 7 year old girl that passes by on the way to school, and one from a teenage boy (if you can imagine that!).  He talked about how his grandmother grew lots of things also, and was very impressed with my 1.3 foot diameter squash leaves all over my fence.

It's disgusting that some cities don't know what looks good and what doesn't.  I think it mostly comes from people with a little authority throwing their weight around.  It sounds like Orlando is backpedaling on the issue after so many people signed the petition to let the garden stay. 

It also sounds like the brouhaha was started by a ridiculous neighbor that complained to the city.  My city also has codes that I think are not good.  They've gotten after me for several things, although it appears not until one or two neighbors complained. 

For one thing, they have a code that says you cannot grow anything in the space between the sidewalk and the curb except certain trees.  The only things allowed on the ground are grass, gravel, or bark.  I found-out about that code after I grew vegetables there one year.  I think the problem was that one neighbor wanted to park there and I put a temporary fence around the veggies to discourage kids from picking them just to throw at each other.  That made it hard for anyone to get out of their vehicle from the passenger side.  The code enforcement officer said that was the problem, but I've not grown anything in that area since except fruit trees, because the code says I can't and I don't want another hassle.

Green growing things never look like a mess to me, but I know they do to some people :(

Comment by Sentient Biped on November 29, 2012 at 10:26am

Joan, thank you for posting on front yard gardening.  I've been doing that too.  There are more popping up in my neighborhood now.  People often stop and talk about what I'm growing.

*

There are still places where people have to fight for the right to garden in their front yards.  motherearthnews.com   Imagine - "It's a free country" but some people can't plant tomatoes in their front yards, without being harassed by neighborhood associations or city councils.

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Mine is always a mess.  I understand people who think it's unsightly.  I try, but perfect appearance of a kitchen garden is much harder to achieve than a lawn with a couple of "pillow shrubs".

Comment by Joan Denoo on November 27, 2012 at 1:48am

PBS TV: A Victory Garden In Your Front Lawn

Comment by Steph S. on November 24, 2012 at 12:59pm

Enjoying all the pictures and posts here.

Trying to get caught up.

Comment by Idaho Spud on November 23, 2012 at 12:43pm

I also very much enjoy lizards, but don't see any in the middle of this city of 60,000.  No amphibians or snakes either.  I've often thought of importing some to help my garden along.

Comment by Sentient Biped on November 23, 2012 at 12:16pm

Dallas,

Love the lizard!  I've seen a couple around here.  Very rare here.  We do have frogs, toads, snakes.  Our insect-eating friends.

Comment by amer chohan on November 23, 2012 at 12:10pm

Dallas cereus with yellow spination are very difficult to identify.there are so many arround. Spineless green one on the back with white ribs  stenocereus marginatus is a grand cactus. One of my favourites, a plant I wish to have in my collection.

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