Edible Yards

This week we’re traveling throughout the Midwest. One of my missions on this vacation is to study and be inspired by the vegetable gardens and farms we visit. I am paying close attention to their designs – layouts, repeated patterns, hardscape features and the ways food crops are integrated into the landscape. Our first stop was Kansas City, Missouri:

Our friend Jessica and her youngest daughter, Pearl, pose next to their edible front yard in Kansas City. Even though her yard is tiny (about 400 square feet), Jessica has transformed her front lawn into a thriving vegetable garden complete with cucumbers, heirloom tomatoes, squash, tomatillos, and a lovely border of zinnias for color. She has integrated several hardscape or permanent features into her garden that give it structure, prevent erosion and give access. The railroad tie and rocks keep her sloped yard (and rich, organic soil) from sliding down onto the sidewalk. Check out her brick pathway lined with flowers and tomatoes below:

Here’s a shot of Josephine (Jessica’s oldest daughter) and my son, Joe Henry, picking tomatoes while standing on the brick pathway. A more permanent pathway makes it easier for kids to remember to walk on the paths and not in the garden beds!

Green Zebra tomatoes in Jessica’s garden