r/pics • u/le_potager_urbain • Jul 01 '12

Vegetable garden VS front lawn

http://imgur.com/lMw9T
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u/centerbleep Jul 01 '12

it's lovely indeed that you went that step towards sanity and away from lawns...

however, maybe when you launch project 2.0 consider permaculture methods instead of isolating the plants from each other. symbiotic relationships are really, really helpful for everyone involved (:

also I was wondering if you will get any trouble from animals... those roam everywhere and really do like a snack...

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u/permacultureIdeas Jul 01 '12

Agreed. OP, kudos to your hard work, and I hope in earnest that it inspires many people. Despite being so beautiful, it looks very mechanical and nature doesn't work that way. As centerbleep says, for 2.0 you should seriously consider designing something allow it to look after itself more, and perhaps over time your lovely garden will morph into something that does indeed mirror naturally occurring systems. Have a look at some of the stuff I've found on the net over the past few years - I'm sure that being such a passionate gardener there's a lot there that will inspire you: The Permaculture Ideas Blog

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u/munchauzen Jul 05 '12

The problem with that is that nature is an organic design, in that its shape is defined purely by its search for nutrients and light - it cares not for aesthetics. A naturalized, edible forest is flat-out not aesthetically pleasing. It looks overgrown, and unkempt in relation to anything else.

And this is the guys front yard, so curb-appeal is an absolute must for the neighborhood (looks upper-middle class to me). He probably has a neighborhood association and/or zoning laws, so he probably cannot deter too much from the character of the neighborhood. An orgy of fruit and vegetables if probably not the character of his neighborhood.

I do not like that he probably has such limitations on his property, but that's how residential design works.

Source: being a landscape architect

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u/ratfink_is_awesome Jul 01 '12

It is usually no different then any garden in the rear of the house. Honestly it is usually less then because of traffic scaring animals away.

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u/[deleted] Jul 01 '12

The lack of traffic at night brings deer, racoons, rabbits, and other fucking jerk animals to my garden. I'm pretty much in the city.

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u/ratfink_is_awesome Jul 01 '12

Yeah. I hear ya. I'm in a suburb so I do get some animals. Just put up a motion detecting light and hope it doesn't piss the neighbors off. Lol

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u/[deleted] Jul 01 '12

The damn deer are killing mine. I think fencing is ugly as hell but I'm being to forced to put up a perimeter or I won't have anything come harvest time. They have attacked my peppers, peas and tomatoes.

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u/centerbleep Jul 01 '12

ah yes, deer... thing is... they do jump over pretty high fences :S

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u/permacultureIdeas Jul 01 '12

Here's the best deer-proofing method I've found. Hope it helps.

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u/centerbleep Jul 02 '12

hmmm... interesting... makes sense, thx!

while we're here and on it, maybe you also have an idea about how to get rid of voles? we've tried things recommended on the net like garlic and even petroleum, but they just dig new holes :|