[Kagganz]

I have decided to use the front garden for some pots  as well as the back (I dont have to just use pots because I have soil in the front aswell)

Its not a massive area approx 14 ft x 14 ft

What could I put there that might not automatically be noticed as food (although it's very quiet where we are).

It doesn't have to be pretty, as in flowering stuff, but it would be a bonus if it was nice to look at.

Also.................I've now got a lot of hanging baskets in place, I already have the red and yellow tumbling tomatoes, does anyone know of other veggies (names also) that I can order please?

Thanks in advance Karen xx

[mumofstig]

First thing i could think of was cavolo nero (black kale)....looks very striking and if you only take a few leaves at a time from each plant would stay good looking for a long while

http://www.seedsofitaly.com/product/159

You could grow chives v pretty pink flowers, garlic chives blueor white flowers. how about an oregon thornless blackberry if you've got a fence or wall.

Some of the peas and french beans have pretty mauve flowers as well

[Trillium]

Rainbow Swiss chard is also pretty and a good alternative to spinach as chard isn't as heat fussy as spinach. My mum has a huge asparagus plant growing in her yard (courtesy of a passing bird) and the later ferny foliage looks nice (after an early harvesting.) Cukes could grow up a trellis or as groundcover.

[Ice]

Have a google for potager gardening.

[FRUITFULL]

How about Beetroot they have nice purple leaves.

[DIGGER]

sweetcorn for a tall base

My neibour has broad beans

[tallulah]

Try mixing flowers and veggies, as the flowers will attract attention rather than veggies - then you can dot lettuces, garlic, onions - well whatever you want really - herbs of course would blend in well.  Sweet peas with climbing beans sharing the supports.  I suppose its the classic potager garden isn't it?  Good luck!

[Elcie]

I asked this question a couple of months ago Kagganz and got some brilliant responses.  My front garden is much, much smaller than yours but I would still like to make good use of the space.

Someone suggested oy Larkom's Creative Vegetable Gardening book.  I added it to my Christmas list and got it and it has some brilliant ideas in there.  Might be worth a look if you can get hold of it.

[FCG]

Try some peas or runners with sweat pea flowers intertwined if you can up a wall. Nobody would notice!

[Kagganz]

Some smashing answers there, thank you.

I  think the  Potager garden  is definately the way to go.  I've heard a little about this but I will look into it more.

I'm off to The Trafford Centre this morning and they have a big W H Smiths so I shall look through the books there,

I'll have a look on Amazon now for that Creative Vegetable book Elcie.

Thanks again everyone, xx

[woodburner]

Considering how many people have simply paved over their front gardens in recent years, or, only slightly better, put down mulch and gravel with just a few lonely shrubs poking through, I don't think growing veg should cause any upset.
A nice geometric arrangement of paths dividing the area into beds, maybe triangles probably the easiest, or a circular bed in the middle, and another almost circular path, rounding off the corners and going out to the edges. Fill each bed with just one crop, and I think it would look good no matter what you grow! 

Edit: Forgot to say 'A few paths linking the two concentric paths, for easy access.'

[Green man]

What a wonderful ideayou have had.
Our front garden is a very big one and so we could use it for veggies
but we have a lot of cats around here and what with some of the little yobs that go around.

We haven't got that much soil but thats no matter we can fix that.
Well the very best of luck to you in what you will be doing.

[Carolinew]

I think this is a really great idea.  I'd been playing with the idea already, but now feel inspired!  My problem is, my front garden is North facing.  It is in shade until late afternoon.  Can I still grow vegetables there, or do I need to give up on the idea, really?

[woodburner]

I think this is a really great idea.  I'd been playing with the idea already, but now feel inspired!  My problem is, my front garden is North facing.  It is in shade until late afternoon.  Can I still grow vegetables there, or do I need to give up on the idea, really?

I have almost north facing too but it's got tall shrubs on the boundary making it a v with the side that should be open to the north, and there is a 10ft holly bush there too! Very little grows there at all, but what does grow is rampant!
You've got a bit more light than me though, so perhaps you could grow raspberries? Rhubarb is supposed to appreciate a bit of shade too.

What is growing there at the moment? As that is a good indicator of what else you might be able to grow there.

[Oscar Too]

When I was a kid in Ireland, we had potatoes in our front garden.  Everyone else had grass.  I was mortified.