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Gardening Moves Up Front

Category: Walkable Communities

Published on Sunday, 14 September 2008 00:00

The Philadelphia Inquirer ran a feature last Friday about people who want to bring back the “victory garden,” and put them in their front yards. The idea of replacing lawns with vegetables could be considered downright subversive in some communities, but it makes complete sense to us. In fact, we do it. This year, I turned over a small patch of turf between my driveway and my property line and planted four tomato vines. It had more to do with the amount of sun it gets there than any statement I wanted to make, but in my thinking, anything that shrinks the amount of grass I have to mow (with my vintage push-​reel mower), the better. The subject of the Inquirer’s story, Roger Doiron, told the reporter, “People are starting to rethink what a healthy landscape looks like. It’s not the TruGreen chemical lawn anymore. It’s a landscape that’s more multipurpose, that combines beauty and utility.” Right on, brother. I don’t water my lawn. I don’t fertilize it. It’s loaded with crabgrass and the occasional dandelion, but it’s green and it doesn’t otherwise cost me anything to maintain. I can spend that money on other things, like my daughter’s future. My garden, on the other hand, just provided me with enough tomatoes for a huge batch of chili, dozens of sandwiches, and other meals with plenty left over to share with my neighbors — and with the other critters in residence.