On my many walks around the neighborhood, I see a lot of personalities expressed through front yards. Many front yard landscapes leave me with a distinct impression of the sort of people who may live inside. Do you interpret them the same way I do?
Front yard fruit and vegetable gardens sometimes make the news when city officials want to see them moved to the backyard. Here in Portland they are a common occurrence, and I’m all for ’em. What a friendly gesture it is to plant something edible right by the sidewalk–practically inviting passersby to share in the fruits of your labor!
In my neighborhood, you might find strawberries in the front yard,
blueberries,
or even kiwis.
This neighbor has apple, pear, persimmon, medlar, and cherry in the “hellstrip” between the sidewalk and the street, and raspberries overhanging the fence.
Another neighbor has plums. The owner was happy to share some of the bounty in the fall, but urged pickers to be sensible about it and not waste any by picking too early.
Some people think edible landscapes are too wild-looking. They worry about creating hiding spaces for mice and snakes. They might feel more at ease with a landscape like this, with its neatly clipped lawn, one tree, and a few tortured camellias. Personally, I would rather risk being startled by a garter snake now and again than to live without color and variety, not to mention food for birds, butterflies, and bees.
Ditto this All-American front yard with its clean and prim expanse of lawn. Some people think this is the neighborly thing to do, but I see it as an ecological desert.
If you really like the look of a formal garden, here’s a better way to do it. There won’t be much color after the azaleas and wisteria are done blooming, but at least it has some structural interest.
I think it’s mighty neighborly to plant sweet-smelling plants in the front yard. This humble-looking little tree is Azara microphylla, and it smells like cocoa when it blooms in March. The owners could have kept it all to themselves in the backyard, but instead they planted it by the front gate. Thank you!
Why not use the front yard as a showcase for your collection of high-impact ornamental plants, too? This terraced front yard holds dahlias. I must remember to return here in late summer. Dahlias have huge flowers (hence the stakes), and I’m betting these will be all different colors.
This beautiful front-yard garden has many layers of interest that change throughout the year. The plants were carefully chosen for their suitability to the site, and look happy and healthy as a result.
Some people feel the need to maintain their privacy with a tall fence. Even they can share with people walking by, as the owners of this Yoshino cherry do…
as well as the owners of this garden which spills over the fence.
Speaking of fences, I realize chainlink is a cheap and effective solution if you have a dog that needs to be contained, but I feel sorry for the plants imprisoned behind them. They ruin the look of the landscape.
Some homeowners share not only their plants’ fruits and scents and flowers, but the plants themselves! Irises are especially popular for sharing. This purple iris grows in front of the house we’re renting…
And the same iris can be found two doors down…
And down the street the other way…
And a little further down the street…
And on the next street over…
And a little further down on that street. That iris gets around!
Some homeowners have these “Little Free Libraries” in their front yard, where you can take a book or leave a book. How neighborly is that? Do you have these in your city?
Some people use their front yard to show that they have a sense of humor. I really did jump the first time I saw this fake spider crouching in the jasmine, but now it makes me smirk.
Just like this creepy face in another garden,
and this front yard bowling ball edging.
Some use the front yard to show off their creativity. This trellis was made out of bike wheels.
I might have to steal this idea–stepping stones shaped like jigsaw puzzle pieces!
I’m not so sure about this one. Handmade crocheted rock cozies. I don’t know what this says about the person that lives here.
And then again, if you want to cut to the chase, you can just put up signs declaring your feelings toward passersby. That should explain directly how you feel. Or better yet, put FOUR signs on the same house. I think we get what the message is here.
All right! I’m moving along.
Okay, okay, I get it!
Huh?
Now you’ve got me wondering what my front garden says about me. Probably something along the lines of “crazy plant lady lives here”…although I have had several people ask me if I used to live in Arizona…
Loree, Planting spiky, drought-tolerant things helps to conserve water that would have otherwise gone to a boring lawn, and that’s a neighborly, good citizen thing to do, too! And by having these things in your front yard, you can educate people on some plant choices they might not have been aware of. I’m sure it looks great!
In all honesty I have had so many conversations with people about the plants in our front garden, it’s pretty fabulous. I keep meaning to print up a plant list I can share with them. BTW please check out my post tomorrow, it’s got a couple of pretty amazing gardens you might enjoy…
Looking forward to the new post!
Like Loree, I wonder what my front garden says about me too. Definitely “crazy plant lady.” I’ve had a few walkers thank me for creating something beautiful for them to look at.
Alison, At the very least, you give your neighbors a reason to strike up a conversation with you. And there are worse things than being considered the neighborhood crazy plant lady. I wish all of my neighbors were crazy plantspeople!
Ha! Pretty sure I too, am considered the crazy plant addict on our block! But I do think I’m pretty neighborly – I happily share with whomever would like a start of whatever it might be. All they have to do is ask… 🙂
Anna, And where do you live again? Haha. Plant people are truly the best folks.
I think most of my corner front yard tells very little about me. With three big shade trees, the west-facing part has been left for last in the garden development saga, and I still don’t know how I’m going to deal with it. The sunny south-facing part tells a little of my story, but judging from the fact that there’s there’s so much thin, weedy grass left elsewhere, people probably think we love it!
Jane, Sounds like your voice is being shouted down by those big trees. Oh well, everybody loves trees, right?