Remodeling the front yard to be primarily a vegetable
garden with curb appeal offers some unique challenges.
The most efficient approach seems to be to begin with the
structure of the garden--the planters, the trellises, the fountain (?), the
fences--with an eye to the crops and plants that will live around and in these
structures.
Should we use a fountain as a
feature in the front yard? Should that water feature be a central focal point
or should it be tucked into a corner to be discovered by the visitor? Should
this and all other elements of the garden be placed to please those who look
out from the house or for those passersby who look in from the street, or for
both? A little of each, perhaps?
A picket fence across the front seems to be the consensus
at this point. Trellises will do the work of fences along the driveway. Raised
beds will be common throughout, even for the perennial plantings, and walkways
will be covered with either bark or gravel--no mowing, and little if any weed
whacking.
The citrus will remain as foundation plants, while an
olive and a macadamia will be added. Artichokes come to mind as an additional
perennial.
In the summer months, nasturtiums, sunflowers, and
cucumbers will add some color, as will the complementary yellow and purple
flowers of okra and eggplant over the sea of squash and melon leaves.
In the fall, peas, favas, kales, cauliflowers, and
cabbages will add their variety, as will lettuces and other "greens"
like beets and chard.
We're learning as we go. There are several good books available to show you how. Our current favorite is Yvette Soler’s The Edible Front Yard: The Mow-Less, Grow-More Plan for a Beautiful, Bountiful Garden
.