One yard at a time, one step at a time

[temporaryreality]

Though my front yard may appear, to the casual observer, to be a purely secular space that likewise makes no reference to political economy, there is nonetheless an intention being expressed in a way that, I hope, looks simply like an aesthetic choice. In other words, what looks innocuous and unassuming is making a statement that can be understood by anyone without using any controversial or exclusionary vocabulary. Basically, the statement is: Things to eat, smell, share, and with which to heal and honor are beautiful and available.

We purchased a house with a lawn. As quickly as possible, I worked to make the land available to productive and beautiful plants and their associated critters. We removed bermuda grass by hand (knowing it would attempt to return, but being ok with future maintenance in that regard), dug "basins," mulched with wood chips (local tree-trimmings) and planted a variety of plants.

My goals were to plant plants in the following "categories":

• edible
• medicinal
• aromatic or culinary
• ritual or sacred
• pollinator forage

Additionally, all plants had to be climate adapted - in my case, that means CA natives or their analogs (Mediterranean-climate adapted plants) and those tolerant of wet, cool winters and hot, dry summers with minimal (but some) summer irrigation.

Here are before and after photos:









If you're not familiar with plants, it might not be obvious, but this garden won't feed a family on the "daily meal" level. At most, it can supplement a productive vegetable garden, but at least it passes neighborly censors and flies under the radar of garden snobs who might object to food in the front yard.

Later I'll post a plant list and mention some of the uses.

Comments

[violetcabra]

Very cool! I look forward to the plant list -- may I ask, what is the purple-flowered plant in the background of the final picture?

[temporaryreality]

Hi Violet,

I had hoped you'd see my post (knowing what I do about you and plants :) ).

So on the right side of that picture there are three purple/blue-flowered plants all growing right up next to and among the others.

In the far back is "Pride of Madeira" (Echium fastuosum) - a disappointment in the pollinator department, though the flower spires are pretty.

In front of that is "Russian Sage" (Perovskia atriplicifolia "Blue Spire") - a bit pungent, but a pretty color and the bees will accept it when their favorites aren't available.

And in front of that, with long purply-blue flowers is " Wooly Bluecurls" that you might know as Romero (Trichostema lanatum) which the bumblebees seem to like. This plant smells really good!

:)

[dfr1973]

Your after pictures are SO MUCH better! How could anyone prefer the plain lawn?

[temporaryreality]

Well, my neighbor two doors down, for one thing. I mean, she likes my yard, but she said about hers that she'd "worked too hard on that grass to let it become something else."

Psychology of previous investment hits everything, I guess.

[peter_van_erp]

The American flag is a nice touch. The pokenoses will make assumptions about your politics, and not realize you are really a subversive.

[temporaryreality]

Keep 'em guessing! :)

(actually it happened to be Memorial Day when I took the last picture and I had put the flag up in honor of my dad, a veteran, who recently passed away).

[methylethyl]

Oooh! It's beautiful!

[temporaryreality]

Thank you! I should post a picture of the summer colors...an almost totally different palette!

[methylethyl]

I'm always game for garden pictures! I have loved gardening since the first time my mother gave me a sprouted garlic to "plant" as a kid... but mine tend toward profuse-jungle-vegetation-chaos, rather than well-thought-out lovely landscaping ;) I don't know how you manage it, but I love the results!

[temporaryreality]

That's too funny because I typically refer to myself as a "chaos gardener" - meaning I just let it all jumble together too. I think in the front yard's case, it's a matter of having a LOT of plants and having simply selected for height (tall at the back, low at the front) and some degree of color continuity (very loosely defined).

I'm so impressed by your veggies, by the way. I am NOT a productive veggie gardener as of yet. Still trying, still underwatering probably, and still haven't amended the soil quite enough. I'm a better winter gardener here since the weather isn't out to kill everything if I so much as get distracted and forget to step out into the garden.

Pics coming up!

[methylethyl]

Every year, I think: "this year, I will plan better! I will be smart! I will plant the flowers in the middle of the bed, where I can't reach, and I will plant the veggies on the outside, where I can get to them!" And every year, I get out there and start digging, and all my plans somehow.. slide off the edge of the table and go splat on the floor. I don't know why, but the tomatoes *wanted* to be in the middle... and they are very happy there. It's good that the sunflowers were so robust, so I can use them as handles to lean waaaay out over the peppers and pumpkins to pick the tomatoes. Next year...