[Elcie]

Hi.  Anyone use their front garden for growing veg?  I'm considering it as I'm looking to maximise space available, but would want it to look decorative too and not just rows of veg!  It is quite small, probably about 2m x 2m maximum.

Any ideas?

[Salmo]

Joy Larkcom has a book "Creative vegetable gardening" which is about growing veg and flowers to look good. Try Amazon or go to your local library.

[crowndale]

I grew dwarf beans in my front garden border a couple of years ago, looked fine.  Have thought about digging up the grass and making a more permanent bed but not sure what for yet, the grass is about 15 foot by 4 foot, full sun, so maybe soft fruit?  But with all my other garden plans this one isn't likely to come off any time soon!

[Yorkie]

There's a 'square foot' gardening technique, where you grow veg etc in a series of 1' squares arranged in a larger square 3 x 3 - I think the RHS have done it at one of their gardens.

This included some quite decorative plants as well as the more usual stuff.

[Aunt Sally]

A Potager Garden can look lovely all year round:

http://www.gardeningknowhow.com/design/how-to-design-a-potager-garden.htm

They don't have to be big but sunny is good.  Feed and water well and you get lots of produce.

[peapod]

That looks lovely aunty, much nice than my neglected mess (been sooooo lazy this year) Trouble is, anything looking remotely edible in mine would 'develop legs' and mysteriously walk in the middle of the night

Paula

[woodburner]

Nasturtiums are edible

[birmancats]

I grew loads of onions in mine this year in amongst all the plants.  No one noticed or said anything anyway.  Then again they do think I'm slightly crazy.

[Swing Swang]

What a great project, there's so much that you could do.

Aunt Sally beat me to the potager suggestion.

I'd be inclined to look towards 'pretty' varieties:
eg runner beans up the walls (flowers usually prettier than climbing French beans). Pick them form the bedroom window! (Not my idea - Joy Larcom's)
Leeks stay in the ground for a long time - maybe interplant blue and yellow varieties.
There are varieties of 'cascading' cherry toms that should look good in hanging baskets (again if you have a wall)
Throw bags of compost over a low boundary fence and plant things like strawbs in the 'saddlebags'
Have seen some purple-podded mangetout.
Rainbow chard looks great anywhere.
Rosemary as an edging plant. The flowers look great if not trimmed too frequently.
A single sweetcorn or three would give 'height'. I'd be inclined to grow some elsewhere too, then cut off the male bit when it's full of pollen and hand pollinate the female tassels on your specimens, then you might get a crop too even though they are not grown in a 'block'.
Oca has a lovely trefoil leaf which is edible and acts as a light excluding mulch for summer weeds.
Chinese greens/pak choi/mizuna/mibuna are very quick growing and picked as a cut and come again crop will fill space quickly if lettuce gets boring. At the right time of the year pak choi grows quickly and is more productive than cabbage.

The list is endless. I think that it will be great fun looking at the winter seed catalogues in a completely different way. I think that you'll end up planting a lot of different varieties, albeit in very small quantities, though so you might want to get involved in seed swaps, or choose seed that will last for a few years.

To keep it looking pretty for as long as possible I think that you'll have to raise things in modules and plant out at the appropriate time, so plan for a cold frame/holding area in the back garden.

Have fun,

Wish I had a front garden too,

Regards,

SS

[milkman]

suitably decorative and edible for a front garden would be:-

- purple podded mange tout peas and climbing borlotti beans - lovely mottled pink bean pods - easy to grow up hazel frames so would add a nice amount of height to your display.

- swiss chard as someone mentioned above.

[kezlou]

I grew potatoes, peas and beans in mine this year. The veg  had flowers on them that looked absolutely gorgeous. Various herbs are lovely too, chives have lovely purple tops when left to grow. ALso the smell off the herbs is amazing as you walk past especially basil. Red lettuce / salad leaves can be quite decorative too mixed in with garlic and onion. tomatoes / strawberry hain hanging baskets.

But then my enitre streets think  i'm a nutter!

[Elcie]

Wow, some brilliant ideas here, thanks everybody.  Will get planning ready for next year!

[jennyb]

i just turned the flower bed into a veg patch.  mum was picky about what i planted there tho.  she didn't mind the swiss chard - rainbow lights as its very colourful.

i think the plan is to tun it into the fruit patch now.  raspberroes and a blueberry already there, with gooseberries and more blueberries to add.