Journalist By Nature: Suburban Gardening

Books to get you started

Sitting on my deck with the morning's cup of coffee, awash in the October sunshine and wrapped in a lap quilt, I contemplated the possibilities of adding an herb garden to my already overstuffed yard. Originally I had planned and executed a small French vegetable garden mixing flowers, vegetables and fruit trees into a single gardening space. The salad greens, nasturtium blossoms and radishes provided a wonderful break from the winter broccoli and cabbages. The little clumps of marigolds, planted to keep bugs at bay, were golden lines of separation between lettuces, cucumbers and peas. Ann Lovejoy, a Northwest gardening author, had a great influence on my gardening in those days.

The espaliered row of 13 apple and pear trees were slow to bear fruit, but eventually gave us bowls of 10 varieties. Blueberries apparently didn't like our location and were limited in their crops. Tomatoes were abundant in the early years but have dwindled to sad, green globes recently. Herbs were hit and miss and there was always a watchful eye kept on the mints to be sure they didn't escape and end up ruling the garden.

Eventually the perimeter trees in neighboring yards turned my once sunny yard into a shade garden where vegetables failed to thrive, roses sogged out in damp areas and the whole yard generally tilted towards the early summer sun angle just to get a little warmth. When a couple of old cherry trees spontaneously fell over into our yard recently, the sun began to return to spots of the yard and the possibility of food gardening took root once again. A strawberry bed was the first project, made from repurposed interconnecting pavers stacked to make a wall for the soil. The berries happily scrambled over the surface of the space, sending out new runners and flowering with abandon so that I could pick a bowl of fresh fruit every morning for my breakfast.

Backyard produce

A dilemma loomed for further development. The former vegetable garden had gradually become a holding garden for extra flowers and shrubs so that in order to reclaim it, I would have to find new homes for the plants or toss them away. The lawn was another issue. It was a great play space when the family was younger but now serves as an outdoor extension of the heavily used deck. I decided to turn to some neighbors who garden to see how they handle their spaces.

One neighbor had the unusual opportunity to completely redesign her yard and garden space. She chose to eliminate all lawn areas and concentrate on food production with the dream in mind of being nearly self-sufficient. She employed a garden designer to give her yard form and flow. This was achieved by designating areas of specific use in ever-repeating concentric arches ranging from the back door to the back fence. With a bit more southwest exposure and significantly less shade than my yard, she has been able to compile an amazing list of edible plants and trees: white peach, Pawpaw, almond, Asian pears, apples, persimmons, mulberry, blueberries, black currants, huckleberries, Goji berry, Sea berry, Goumi berry, Aronia or chokeberry, raspberries, blackberries, strawberries, various herbs, kiwi, pineapple guava, golden hops and Akebia vine. From this handsome collection of producers she gathers enough to eat in the season but does not yet freeze, can or dry any for winter use. As a vegan, she supplements her garden meals with grains and nuts.

Aronia (L) and Persimmon (R) juices

Another gardening neighbor with yet a different orientation to the sun made the move to raised beds when ground level work became too difficult. The 4 x 8 foot beds are made of untreated lumber and are filled with purchased gardening soil and homemade compost. Plastic bins with holes drilled for drainage compliment the beds. This gardener is a carnivore and fabulous cook so her garden reflects a different selection of edibles: artichoke, garlic, herbs galore, a bay leaf shrub, elderberry shrub, gooseberries, currants, a cherry tree, blueberries, strawberries, potatoes, oca and yucan tubers, green beans, salad greens, bok choi, a fig tree, fava beans, asparagus, beets and kiwis. This garden supplies quick and easy companions to her barbequed or oven-cooked meals and offers a theraputic outlet for her creative energy. It bears year round in one form or another and she freezes and cans for winter consumption. She and her husband also make their own wine and cultivate friends with food so that sharing is an aspect of their gardening efforts. They additionally glean through a gleaning association that provides food to the Food Bank. They also have a lawn.

Asian pears

If you decide to expand your suburban lot function to include a food-source garden, there are many points to consider: sun exposure, willingness to work for your food production, giving up play or mowing spaces, organic or not, how much food will my space and efforts yield, what do I like to eat, how do I grow what I want. Research is readily available online here, here, here and here, at the library or from your local Extension Agent. Some of your neighbors may be experienced and would be willing to share what they know. The opportunity to grow your own food, save money in some cases and know how your food has been handled are just a few of the rewards of suburban gardening. Start your plans today!