Be a front-garden farmer

Most people reserve the front garden for beautiful flowers and bushes to welcome visitors and create a lovely view from the living room window. But by choosing the right plants, you can create a market garden in the front yard.

‘Curly kale is a fabulous vegetable for the front garden,' suggests TV gardener and B&Q Grow Your Own expert Alan Titchmarsh. ‘It looks great as it grows and you can keep picking leaves as you need them. Create a tepee of climbing French beans in a pot or tiny plot; they'll give height to your space, produce lovely flowers and won't spoil your
garden's look as you pick the beans.' Here's how to transform even the
smallest front yard into a plot bursting with pretty and productive plants.

Front garden fare

Guy Pullen from Clifton Nurseries gives his year-round choices that will keep your garden looking good, whatever the season.
■ Gooseberries, redcurrants and blackberries can be kept as neat bushes and their leaves will still look good well into the autumn.
■ Look for dwarf root stock trees and you can enjoy a miniature apple tree instead of a traditional shrub. Pruned properly they'll stay below two metres tall.
■ Plant brassica, such as curly kale, winter cabbages and lambs lettuce in the autumn and you're guaranteed soft green shades and plenty of edibles in February.
■ Tomatoes can produce fruit for up to six months if cared for, while ‘cut and come again' varieties of lettuce, rocket and radicchio are great for planting out or in pots and will all continue growing. Read more on growing tomatoes. Read more on growing salad
■ Don't forget herbs. Even during a harsh winter you'll still be able to grow parsley, as long as it's protected, while sage, rosemary and thyme are also very easy to keep. Read more on growing your own herbs

You might also like...