leonardochen
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Attractive veggies for front yard?

Hello

I just finished some major renovations in my front yard, and now I have lots of prime land to work with. The space is very sunny, the soil is brand new, but.... it's right in front of the house.

I was wondering if you could suggest some crops that I could plant there that (hopefully) would not cause an eye sore in the neighborhood. Any tips on somewhat attractive plants? Or maybe decorative plants and flowers that go well with edible ones?

By the way, I live in New England.
Thanks!
Leo

Hispoptart
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With out seeing the area, what about some cherry or grape tomato's?

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applestar
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Funny you should ask.... 8)
Just like you, one of my NEW PROJECT! ideas was to prep a new bed for the front side of the 5'H white vinyl picket fence.

I don't have the time to upload the photos, but here is my list... with an eye to how they would look with the white fence behind them. Some are direct seeded and either just starting to sprout or haven't sprouted yet, so the photo wouldn't show you much anyway. :wink:

End of fence native grouping of Red Osier Dogwood, Monarda 'Jacob Kline', Lowbush Blueberry, White Turtlehead, and Penstemon 'Husker Red' with Fuchsia 'Gartenmeister'. Then Rainbow Quinoa mix, Chocolate Cherry Sunflowers, Cherokee Long Ear Purple/Yellow Popcorn, and two chickenwire potato towers of All Blue, Adirondak Blue, and Rose Red potatoes, with California #5 Black-eyed Cowpeas along the fence. Azuki beans and Burgundy Red Okra (not sure if these will sprout -- seeds started with tomatoes never sprouted, so I tried the ice cube method with these) along the fence. American Hazel shrub, then the Gate-side grouping of Sedum 'Autumn Joy', unnamed Rhubarb, Borage, White flowered wild yarrow, Magenta/Pink flowered yarrow, Lowbush Blueberries, and Wild Strawberries. Plus Crimson Clover seeds were scattered throughout the area. The Gate arbor trellis has Scarlet trumpet honeysuckle growing over it in full bloom. Then the other side of the gate is planted with two kinds of pink astilbe, Clethra sweet pepperbush, Spicebush, and pink flowering hydrangea macrophylla (won't turn blue despite my continued efforts).

Am toying with the idea of planting Atlantic Dill Giant Pumpkin and Bushel Gourd and allowing them to sprawl over the front lawn. :shock: :-() Spaces were reserved for them in front of the potato towers with the sunflowers and popcorn dividing the two.

I also have some Royal Black and Czechoslovakia Black hot pepper seedlings that may go somewhere in there -- probably near the sunflowers and popcorn. 8)

DoubleDogFarm
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Just like you, one of my NEW PROJECT! ideas was to prep a new bed for the front side of the 5'H white vinyl picket fence.
Skip over this part :( :P and read everthing else. Plastic :P

:lol:

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applestar
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HEY! :evil: :>

About the tomatoes -- I tried that last year. Trouble with tomatoes is you HAVE to provide some kind of support. Not easy to make that attractive and functional at the same time. Have you seen those tomato spiral stakes? It's a single heavy metal rod in a corkscrew, painted or dipped in bright colors. IF you train your tomatoes to a single stem, they can look pretty nifty. I never have the heart or the nerve to prune my tomatoes that severely though....

I had tomatoes and eggplants last year in a smaller Gateside grouping, and despite my clunky support systems, they did add a visual interest once they started to fruit.

DoubleDogFarm
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Or you can find someone that can weld you up some fun plant support.

Paint it or not.

[img]https://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h300/eric_wa/Metal%20Work/DSC02168.jpg[/img]

Lunacy
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I think the prettiest thing I planted was some rainbow Swiss Chard, but I have only seen the picture on the package the seeds came in as they haven't come up yet.

rkunsaw
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Sweet potatoes are pretty plants and have pretty flowers if you have room for them.Also some of the smaller pepper plants such as tri-varigota.If you want something permanent you might try asparagus.
Larry

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rainbowgardener
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I had squash volunteer in my front flowerbed last year. It was really pretty, the vine just wound around the bed. Every time it headed out into the lawn, I just turned it around. Squash blossoms are beautiful! So this year I planted one where it volunteered last year.

garden5
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Squash, tomatoes, blueberry bushes, sunflowers, and, of course, rainbow swiss chard.

In all truthfulness, just about any garden crop will look good in front of a house as long as it is kept neat, weeded, and removed when dead.

Good luck with your edible flower bed.

leonardochen
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Thanks everyone for the replies! I'm looking for pictures of each of applestar's and the others suggestions online. These look very promising.
Last night I mentioned the idea to my wife, and she had a look on her face like I was completely crazy. I think after I show her some pictures she'll change her mind.

I prefer plants that are not very tall, I would say under 3' would be best.
Sweet potatoes, chard and aspargus looks quite interesting. Would aspargus survive the winter? You mentioned them being permanent. (Though I think we'll eat them before winter arrives).
Would any of the plants suggested survive the winter, or will I have to plant it every year?

What's tri-varigota? Is it a sweet potato variation?
The idea of shaping them through plant supports is good too.

DoubleDogFarm
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How about,

Rosa Rugosa, Very nice flower and a large edible hip.
[img]https://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h300/eric_wa/OrchardJuly26th004.jpg[/img]

Aronia, Very nice fall color. Edible berry, high in vitamin C and antioxidents.
[img]https://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h300/eric_wa/Aronia004-1.jpg[/img]

Ox-Eyed daisies, Edible leaf.
[img]https://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h300/eric_wa/OrchardJuly26th003.jpg[/img]


Strawberries
Gooseberries

Edible Landscape, it doesn't have to be veggies. :wink:

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jal_ut
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Bright Lights Chard, Ornamental Kale, Rhubarb, Summer squash.

Hey! I think all veggie garden plants are beautiful. I suggest rhubarb because it gets so big and has such large leaves. It is awesome as a specimen plant. .

Summer squash also gets large and has large leaves with beautiful yellow blossoms. They won't run all over the lawn like pumpkins or winter squash.

For a tall accent plant some corn.

pepper4
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I was thinking rhubarb also. I love the large leaves. They survive the winter (at least here).

scot29
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As people have said, bright lights or rainbow chard is fantastic. Also - Scarlet Runner pole beans is an heirloom variety that has attractive red flowers. A very nice looking plant.

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applestar
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Oh yes! I know you said lower growing, but if you're looking at pole beans, [url=https://www.helpfulgardener.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=82245&highlight=purple+podded+pole+bean#82245]Purple Podded Pole beans[/url] is wonderful too. It's a vigorous grower or I would've considered planting them to climb up the popcorn.

Oh here's [url=https://www.helpfulgardener.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=82463#82463]another post in that same thread[/url] with more photos.

rkunsaw
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Tri-varigota( I probably spelled it wrong) is a small to medium size hot pepper plant.It will have purple,green and red peppers ( I guess the Tri) at the same time and the leaves are green with white edges(varigated)I can't remember which seed co. we first got ours from but I've seen it in several.
Larry

garden5
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rkunsaw wrote:Tri-varigota( I probably spelled it wrong) is a small to medium size hot pepper plant.It will have purple,green and red peppers ( I guess the Tri) at the same time and the leaves are green with white edges(varigated)I can't remember which seed co. we first got ours from but I've seen it in several.
Larry
Oh yeah, I forgot about the pepper plants. There are a lot of ornamental varieties that have variegated foliage which look very nice.

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applestar
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Czech Black and Royal Black I mentioned are edible. Already very striking, even as seedlings. :wink: Oh, I got the seeds from Southern Exposure Seed Exchange.

Oh, BTW, I would order 10 of those, Double Dog, if I had the wherewithal. :cool:

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1chichi
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DoubleDogFarm wrote:Or you can find someone that can weld you up some fun plant support.

Paint it or not.

[img]https://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h300/eric_wa/Metal%20Work/DSC02168.jpg[/img]
I love your trellis! How can I make it?
What kind of metal is it? What tool do I need to fuse the metal?
These would look great across the front yard w/ tomatoes growing on them.

DoubleDogFarm
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affectedly pretty, (chichi)


I love your trellis! How can I make it?
I used a bench mounted vise and a pipe wrench to do most of the bending.

What kind of metal is it? What tool do I need to fuse the metal?
This one is made of 3\8 rebar. Comes in 20ft lengths. I use a 220volt AC-DC Arc Welder.

These would look great across the front yard w/ tomatoes growing on them.
Thank you, I sold this one for $50.00. It was a Mothers Day gift. 4 year olds have great taste :wink:

I'm thinking where the three legs come together at the top. Wrap several windings of wire around. Then flare them out to make the tripod. Next take a 10ft length of rebar and bend it into a spiral. Start out wide and progressivly make it smaller. Slip this spiral over the top of the tripod. Where the spiral touches a leg, wire it together.

LindsayArthurRTR
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My Okra is in full bloom right now, and they are beautiful. Only about 2-3 feet tall right now and prolific. Big Ol yellow blooms with dark purple centers, nice foliage and loads of pods. They will keep going if you keep them picked. Yesterday's flowers are today's picked pods.

They are very attractive and would make a great middle ground plant for edible landscapping ;)

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Gary350
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I have planted tomatoes in my front yard several times along the driveway and sidewalk. They look good from the street. I know a guy that tilled a 4 ft wide strip along his front yard and both sides of his yard and planted corn once. It made a nice privacy fence for a few months and it looked pretty good too.

This year I have zeinnia flowers and spider flowers in my front yard.
Last edited by Gary350 on Sun Jun 27, 2010 11:06 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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applestar
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Yesterday, I was looking out the window at the front yard, and my neighbors' teenage son was standing over my little row of popcorn, pumpkin and gourd, black-eyed peas, sweet potatoes, and potato silos. (Mostly looking down at the corn) -- in disbelief? I don't know... The plants are all recognizable for what they are now.... He was staring at them for a good moment with his hands on his hips before going back to his house.... :lol:

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stella1751
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Of everything I have grown in my front yard, I think the prettiest will be my violetto (sp) pole beans I have planted this year. They are supposed to make light purple flowers and purple beans. Their stems are royal purple; their leaves are Army green laced with purple veins. My garlic, more of a blue-grass green, is spiking up in front of them, closest to the road. If the garlic can hold on for two or three weeks, the tableau will resemble an ornamental grass patch at the base of a mass of climbing sweet peas. I think it will be the loveliest frontyard bed I've ever grown!

LindsayArthurRTR
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How bout this beauty!

Fish pepper!

[url]https://www.seedsavers.org/Details.aspx?itemNo=971[/url]

They are beautiful. Would look very pretty in fronof burgundy Okra!

FruitAddict
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I know I am really late on this one but I had to share what I did in my front flower bed this year. I wanted it be ediable and pretty.

The only unediable thing I have in it is Purple Sedum and Dusty Miller. For Ediables I have Curly Leaf Blue Kale with Purple & White Kohlrabi & Cabbages filled in with spinach (which is mostly gone already).

I can not tell you how many compliments I have gotten on it this year. I will be sad when I have to harvest some of the bigger plants but it sure is pretty right now.

The Helpful Gardener
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Kale is a good call; that steely blue looks great with red foliage (like Red Sails lettuce, maybe?). The Rainbow Chard is really stylin right now...

But my Scarlet Runner Beans are stealing the show this year with those fire engine red flowers, and the hummers are mad for them. Sure would look great going up that trellis DD made...

HG

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applestar
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I'm growing Fish peppers this year... Just stRting to fruit -- very prolific and variegated like the rest of the plant!

I'm planning to dig up at end of year and try to overwintering inside from year to year, though I'll save the seeds for insurance as well.

LindsayArthurRTR
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Are they hot or sweet?

alexia.brake
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1chichi wrote:
DoubleDogFarm wrote:Or you can find someone that can weld you up some fun plant support.

Paint it or not.

[img]https://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h300/eric_wa/Metal%20Work/DSC02168.jpg[/img]
I love your trellis! How can I make it?
What kind of metal is it? What tool do I need to fuse the metal?
These would look great across the front yard w/ tomatoes growing on them.

Wow! These sure would be nice for my tomato plants!!

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rainbowgardener
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For tomatoes? I would have said beans. I don't know how tall that is, but it seems to be angled the wrong direction for tomatoes which are very small at the bottom, just one stem and usually you remove all the bottom leaves, and get huge at the top. How would you support all the top branches?

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applestar
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I don't know yet. It's listed as Hot, and I've read that it ranges from 5,000 to 30,000 :shock: Scoville Units, that immature fruits have no heat or is super spicy, that heat increases as the fruits mature and that heat in bright red fruits are mellowed :? :lol:

As confusing as it is, it's a "local" heirloom (Philly/Baltimore area) in addition to the physical appearance, so I had to have it. 8)

I'll let you know how it tastes. I guess I can pick some hard green (streaked with cream) ones to start with. :wink:

garden5
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applestar wrote:I don't know yet. It's listed as Hot, and I've read that it ranges from 5,000 to 30,000 :shock: Scoville Units
I'm trying to grow the bhut jolokia this year, which tops out at 1,000,000 Scovils. Hoever, I say "trying" because while all my other peppers are flowering and bearing fruit, my bhuts are just starting to but. Hopefully they will catch up.



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