I think that
this concept of eliminating grass front lawns, in place of edible gardens, is a
great one. An architect/artist by the name of Fitz Haeg, came up with the
concept of documenting the change from grass lawns to food producing urban
land, in several prototype properties in cities across the United States. The
transformative effect of these gardens on the home owners and the community,
are part of the beauty of the project.
I think it’s
fascinating, that there are people who think that growing your own food is
somehow unnatural or unsightly. One year my neighbor created a huge, productive
garden, on what was an otherwise uninspiring front yard; void of landscaping
and filled with crab grass and dirt patches. Once I saw the numerous, rowed
plants sprouting up defiantly through the ground; I was immediately drawn to
the garden, and sucked into its daily developments. I would take slower, more
frequent walks past my neighbor’s home. Even though, my elder neighbor spoke no
English; we managed to understand each other and forge a relationship using
their garden as a bridge between us. We might not have been able to say more
than “hello” and “goodbye” to each other; but I could always lean over his
small white fence; gesture to the kale, onions, cabbage or tomatoes; and smile
at him with a thumbs up. He always smiled back with a certain pride and
happiness that only a gardener possesses. Sometime last year, my elder neighbor
moved out of the home that he shared with his daughter and her family; and my
neighbors stopped planting their formerly beautiful, abundant garden. It’s too
bad. I never see the family outside anymore; and I don’t slow down to peek or
marvel at the beauty of their yard.
Below, is an
excerpt from Fritz Haeg’s book:
Our
Neighbors
What happens
when an Edible Estate garden is not welcomed by the neighbors? Why do some
people feel threatened by it? Anarchy, rodents, plummeting property values,
willful self-expression, wild untamed nature, ugly decaying plants, and winter
dormancy are some of the reasons that have been given. More to the point is a
general sense that Edible Estate gardeners have broken some unspoken law of
decency. Public tastes still favor conformity when it comes to the front yard,
and any sort of deviation from the norm signals a social, if not moral, lapse.
The abrupt appearance of such a garden on a street of endless lawns can be
surprisingly shocking, but after the neighbors watch it grow in, they often
come around. Perhaps the threats evoked by this wild intrusion into the
neighborhood will eventually be a catalyst for questions. How far have we come
from our the core of our humanity that the act of growing our own food might be
considered impolite, unseemly, threatening, radical, or even hostile?
From Edible
Estates: Attack on The Front Lawn, Fritz Haeg
