Edible landscaping for front yards — print version.
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SUS Farms · Utah Gardening
Edible landscaping for front yards
design · intermediate · ~6 min read
Most American front yards waste their best growing space on lawn that nobody uses. Edible landscaping replaces ornamentals one for one with productive plants that look just as good — and quietly subsidize the grocery bill. The key is picking edibles that hit the same visual notes as the ornamentals they replace.
Substitute the structure
Boxwood hedge → blueberry hedge (in raised, acidified beds) or rosemary. Foundation shrubs → currants, gooseberries, sea buckthorn. Specimen tree → semi-dwarf apple or pear (both have spring bloom, fall color, and edible fruit). Tall accent → globe artichoke (architectural foliage, edible buds, perennial in warm microclimates).
Herbs as ground cover
Creeping thyme — fragrance when stepped on, tiny flowers, ground cover for paths. Oregano — purple flower spikes, cascades over walls. Strawberries — productive ground cover, pretty white flowers, kids picnic in them. Chives — clumping foliage with purple pompom flowers.
Vines for fences and arbors
Grapes — autumn color, fruit, dappled shade for a patio. Hops — fast vertical cover, fragrant flowers, useful if anyone in the house brews. Hardy kiwi (Actinidia kolomikta) — variegated foliage, fuzzless edible fruit. Scarlet runner beans — annual but stunning red flowers and edible pods.
Mixed beds (potager style)
Plant vegetables in patterns. A row of red lettuce alternating with red sails — looks like a tapestry. Kale as a border plant — the colored stems read like ornamental cabbage from the street. Rainbow chard against a black-painted fence — high contrast. Tomatoes trellised on a decorative obelisk.
What to avoid for street appeal
Don't plant 8'x8' plots of hot-weather vegetables (corn, squash, melons) at the front of the yard — they look ratty in late August. Keep those in the back. Front-of-yard edibles should be evergreen-ish or have year-round structure. Fruit trees, herbs, perennial vegetables, and tidy containers are the front-yard picks.