Growing veg in your front garden

[Baldy]

Anyone else do this?
At the moment I've got 5 or 6 Morrison's flower buckets on the drive that have some overwintered Bedford Champ onions growing in them. Last summer there were also tomato plants in pots on the drive and a squash plant in a spare space in the border that grew tremendous leaves but miniscule fruit.

I'm tempted to put some sweetcorn in this year just to confuse the neighbours. Mrs Balders isn't always keen on my ideas...

Balders

[Containergardener]

Go for it , what's the difference between flowers n veg. As long as neighbours can't help themselves. (Unless you want them too).
Mix veg pots in amongst flowers, Sunflowers, sweet peas n runners.
Bet itd look great.

[muddled]

I'm thinking I might put my rhubarb out the front, its not happy on the allotment and I've no room for it in the back garden.

I'm also planning to put most of the carrots from the carrot challenge out there when I oik them out of the greenhouse, that's all there is room for though because so much is deep shade. If the front faced south I wouldn't hesitate to fill it with veg...English cottage garden style,
To my mind they were the most beautiful of all.

[Jungle Jane]

What else do you have in the border? My ceonothus is nitrogen fixing like bean plants,it has a really leafy Buddleia next to it,flowers late,seems too much leaf growth is going on,I've given it some sulphate of potash to try & get more potassium in the soil which is good for flowers/fruits. Also thinning fruits like plums for example can make the remaining fruits bulk out.
I don't grow much in the front garden,I don't trust people,we get a lot of vandalism in our town & our gardens are all open round here,we're not allowed them walled in or fenced off for any privacy,it's nice like this though,it's quite friendly here if you forget about the vandals.

[Lumpy]

In our front at the moment we have broad beans (Robin Hood), space for my pumpkins (Table King), 3 goosegogs and about 25 cutt down MFB's waiting for flowers and strawberries.

[vixylix]

I wouldn't trust people having things in the front garden - I barely trust them having things in the back garden.

Had a similar discussion with my brother yesterday - mostly front gardens seem to be entirely wasted these days, so if you're comfortable with it why not!!

[veggiechicken]

I have a couple of figs, a 6' olive tree (it has had 2 olives!), rhubarb and some herbs. Its more Mediterranean than Cottage.

[Containergardener]

It's sad we can't trust anyone now, though could we before...I live in the land of the Romans and the border reivers .

[veggiechicken]

I trust people round here

[Baldy]

Mostly trustworthy round these parts - though my children spotted an elderly lady (c. 75) pulling out bluebells a couple of years back... our front garden slopes down and is about chest height when it meets the pavement.
My kids were a bit gobsmacked but I told 'em 'you can't trust anyone nowadays'... so if need be shout at old ladies.. they might just be pulling a fast one...

[muddled]

I may being unfair but I doubt that your average thieving scumbag would be overly interested string beans, assuming he even knew what they were!

Granted, raspberries near the pavement might fall victim to schoolkids scrumping but I'd be pleased they were at least eating some fruit!

I can see that a giant pumpkin might be fun to snatch and garden ornaments could fetch cash on e-bay...but I really don't imagine that I'd suffer great losses of veggies here on my London council 'sink' estate.

Cars, motorbikes, even the odd wheelie bin but cabbages? Nah! I reckon they're safe enough

[Guest]

I have a dozen fruit trees in my front garden. Last year the overflow squash almost went in but ended up in the back garden, unfortunately the ducks thought they looked good . So this year the overflow squash may be in the front. We do have vandals in the village but it just tends to be bored kids. Like most places people taking priviledges rather than asking is not unknown but on the whole people are friendly and trustworthy

[kathyd]

What else do you have in the border? My ceonothus is nitrogen fixing like bean plants,it has a really leafy Buddleia next to it,flowers late,seems too much leaf growth is going on,I've given it some sulphate of potash to try & get more potassium in the soil which is good for flowers/fruits. Also thinning fruits like plums for example can make the remaining fruits bulk out.
I don't grow much in the front garden,I don't trust people,we get a lot of vandalism in our town & our gardens are all open round here,we're not allowed them walled in or fenced off for any privacy,it's nice like this though,it's quite friendly here if you forget about the vandals.

Maybe you could grow climbing beans or peas through your shrubs

[Guest]

If you don't trust people you could always grow exploding cues although you probably have to put a warning sign up

[Alison]

I don't see a problem at all, it's unlikely the average idiot who nicks anything out a front garden is going to be interested in veggies and they'd be more secure next to your house than at a lottie. I think often people go on about how things aren't how they used to be based on nothing at all and really it's fine. Then again when the papers constantly peddle fear it's not surprising. In summary, go for it, you'll not lose anything if you haven't anywhere else to put the stuff.