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BUT, most people are to darn indolent and concerned with appearance to do it. I love seeing a big, beautiful garden but alot of people don't.
Thanks for posting!!
I agree with your post metalheart - but I've never heard of anyone who didn't like a garden or concerned about appearance of a garden! I believe you, but it sounds utterly ridiculous to me! A garden is right up there with the sun and sky - humans have been farmers since the world began. It's just such a basic thing for me - it's like saying you don't like to look at flowers or the sky. Let's not put flowers in our front yard. Veggies are more valuable than flowers! Granted, I grew up in the country on a farm so perhaps I have some crazy perspective that doesn't naturally occur to city people?
The question was not why non-HOA neighborhoods are "devoid" of front yard gardens.
A front yard garden is not traditional. It's not yet part of the culture. That's why one doesn't see non-HOA neighborhoods filled with veggies.
Of course HOA governance affects whether or not someone has a front yard garden!
Yes, sure it's a personal choice (but not if you have an HOA!), and of course, gardens are ruled by the growing season, and we're blessed that NC has a relatively long growing season.
But I'm wondering if the factors that we have now, among them the ever-increasing prices of food and growing interest in organic food, might affect the traditional culture of the manicured lawns valued by HOAs?
What does everyone think?
Quote:
Originally Posted by North_Raleigh_Guy
Trying to tie the abundance or lack of front yard gardens to HOAs is irrelevant and a logical non sequitur. There are lots of neighborhoods in the Triangle the have no HOA but are completely devoid of front yard gardens. So I think one needs to look at other factors like personal choice, and the growing season / local climate as to why such gardens are not the first choice for local gardeners here.
There's a front yard garden on a main street in Bedford and I've never heard any complaints about it. They've had it for probably at least 3 years now and it is quite nice looking. It is tucked back a bit and is next to the foundation plantings so it's not just placed out in the middle of the yard with no context. They have about 3 foot high iron fencing around it. I don't know how they keep the deer out of it--I'd love to know their secret. ;-)
I don't think the city rules should override the HOA rules on something like this. You know what you're getting into when you buy a home in an HOA.
For lovebrentwood--I don't think that HOAs necessarily have a problem with growing veggies or fruit in your front yard, it's all in how you do it. You can incorporate veggie gardens into your landscape and have it look quite nice. For instance, I have my garden on the side of my house. I use 2 wooden stakes with chicken wire between them as a support for my squash and cucumber vines, but I would never put that in my front yard. But I would put a wooden or metal obelisk in my front yard with a veggie vine growing on it.
We have a natural slope in our backyard and have been in the process of building a retaining wall to use the slope for a garden since the share is in the front and sun is in the back.
I personally am looking forward to bacon and vine-ripe tomato sandwich.
Of course HOA governance affects whether or not someone has a front yard garden!
But I'm wondering if the factors that we have now, among them the ever-increasing prices of food and growing interest in organic food, might affect the traditional culture of the manicured lawns valued by HOAs?
Put these two statements together and consider the lack of front yard gardens in non-HOA communities and you can see why your line of questioning makes no sense. The more meaningful question is why haven't the behaivors of people in non-HOA neighborhoods changed? Obviously HOAs are not the limiting factor here.
I've already pointed out the obvious reason for the lack of front yard gardens (shorter growing season / climate in the area) - not to mention I don't think people are running out of backyard space just yet making the move to the front yard even necessary. But I'm sure people will continue to try to make the weak connection to HOAs since it tends to make them feel better about themselves.
I didn't think this was an issue that would elicit contentious feelings. "Feel better about themselves?" Seriously? Even with the wink, seriously?
Oftentimes front yards are sunnier than backyards; backyards often have trees, resulting in shade.
Most neighborhoods with HOAs don't have postage-stamp-sized front yards. Those sized yards are relatively new.
We have a longer growing season than where many of us were raised -- in the northeast. But I don't see how that has much to do with anything.
Feel free to start your own thread with your own meaningful question. I posted a question that I was interested in.
FWIW, we have a bunch of flowers in the front yard. No veggies. Maybe at some point. And I have nothing against well-run HOAs.
Quote:
Originally Posted by North_Raleigh_Guy
Put these two statements together and consider the lack of front yard gardens in non-HOA communities and you can see why your line of questioning makes no sense. The more meaningful question is why haven't the behaivors of people in non-HOA neighborhoods changed? Obviously HOAs are not the limiting factor here.
I've already pointed out the obvious reason for the lack of front yard gardens (shorter growing season / climate in the area) - not to mention I don't think people are running out of backyard space just yet making the move to the front yard even necessary. But I'm sure people will continue to try to make the weak connection to HOAs since it tends to make them feel better about themselves.
Last edited by lovebrentwood; 05-02-2011 at 08:44 AM..
We had a front-yard raised bed garden at our old (non-HOA) house. Not many other neighbors did, but the neighbors were all supportive of ours. I can say that front yard or back, growing a garden is a good chunk of work, so I wouldn't say anyone "should" have a garden unless they were enthusiastic about it. Otherwise it's just a pain in the neck. ;-) (And if you don't like work but want at least a few homegrown veggies, get an Earthbox!)
We've got a backyard veggie garden in our new (HOA) home. Echoing a pp, I would bet the HOA wouldn't even notice if I mixed some fruits and veggies in to the front yard plantings. We've already got apple trees in the front yard; perennial herbs like sage, rosemary, and lavender fit in great with foundation plants; a decorative trellis that starts with snap peas in the spring followed by cherry tomatoes in the summer wouldn't even register on the "veggie garden" scale for most people. I doubt the HOA could really tell the difference between ornamental and edible kale. If you don't plant the veggies in rows backed by chicken wire, it's amazing how they work like edible annuals.
We had a front-yard raised bed garden at our old (non-HOA) house. Not many other neighbors did, but the neighbors were all supportive of ours. I can say that front yard or back, growing a garden is a good chunk of work, so I wouldn't say anyone "should" have a garden unless they were enthusiastic about it. Otherwise it's just a pain in the neck. ;-) (And if you don't like work but want at least a few homegrown veggies, get an Earthbox!)
We've got a backyard veggie garden in our new (HOA) home. Echoing a pp, I would bet the HOA wouldn't even notice if I mixed some fruits and veggies in to the front yard plantings. We've already got apple trees in the front yard; perennial herbs like sage, rosemary, and lavender fit in great with foundation plants; a decorative trellis that starts with snap peas in the spring followed by cherry tomatoes in the summer wouldn't even register on the "veggie garden" scale for most people. I doubt the HOA could really tell the difference between ornamental and edible kale. If you don't plant the veggies in rows backed by chicken wire, it's amazing how they work like edible annuals.
Last edited by lovebrentwood; 05-02-2011 at 08:44 AM..
I think everyone should have a veggie garden, and backyard chickens!
and clotheslines too....and mine just recently got extensive renovations
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I posted a question that I was interested in.
