Grow food, not grass

North Americans now devote 40,000 square miles to lawns, more than we use for wheat, corn, or even tobacco. - “The Lawn: North America’s magnificent obsession’ by Robert Fulford

We can take a stand against the conformity of society by growing food in our front yard. If you know you don’t want to be “like the Joneses” but you aren’t sticking out, then what’s the point?

History of the lawn

America’s fascination with a neatly mowed patch of grass began sometime after the Civil War, but ramped up in earnest in the 1950s, along with the growth of the suburbs. The lawn is a common American phenomenon - no where else in the world will you find such useless use of space.

Front yard food production

Be on the cutting edge of a movement. A transformation that will drastically change the impact you have on the earth. A change for the better that just may be your first step to becoming free. Freedom Gardens invites you to liberate your yard from your lawn!

It comes in many different varieties. Bahia, Bent, Bermuda, Buffalo, Centipede, Fescue, and Bluegrass, to name just a few. Lawns made up of these types of grasses are taking up loads of useable space in neighborhoods across the world. This is space that could be used for producing food for you and your family instead. Or space that could be used to plant flowers that attract beneficial insects and animals.

Planting an edible landscape is nothing new, it’s been done and done extremely well since the Medieval times. Edible landscaping follows many of the same principles of conventional landscape design.

Out with the ornamental and in with the edibles

Edible fruit trees, berry bushes, vines, herbs, vegetables and colorful edible flowers can be incorporated in the front yard landscape providing beauty and productivity.

Take the first step. Choose all or just a portion of your lawn to liberate.

Take another step forward. There are many ways to utilize your fresh space. Fill your liberated plot with a flower or vegetable garden, plant a fruit tree, or simply fill the space with mulch.

Liberating your yard from your lawn makes a whole lot of sense in the fragile environment and economy of today’s world. Here are just few ways you will be setting yourself free:

• You’ll be helping to conserve water. No more watering an otherwise useable piece of land for aesthetics only
• You’ll be helping to cut down on petroleum and/or electricity consumption. No more needing to cut your lawn with that gas-guzzling mower.
• You’ll be helping to reduce the use of harmful chemicals. No need to use lawn herbicides, insecticides, fungicides, and manufactured fertilizers.
• You’ll be freeing up your time. Replace spending hours a week mowing your lawn with directing more of your time and energy towards sustainable living, doing things you enjoy, or even just taking time to relax.

Steps to making a successful front yard edible garden

1. pretty - be conscious of your neighbors. First thing is you should ask yourself “would I live next door to me.”

2. productive - be innovative and use every square inch, be willing to try new edibles varieties

3. practical - use natural growing methods to conserve water and resources

4. personal - DIY and let your edible garden develop into an extension of your very own needs and desires

Front yards can be beautiful and productive. Take the challenge.

Be a liberator - grow food not grass.

:: Resources ::

Edible landscaping

Front yard garden

Landscaping with edibles

Perennial vegetables

Urban agriculture books