Stay-at-home Dad wins right to front lawn vegetable garden

[Tussiemussies]

A great article with a great ending:

http://www.treehugger.com/lawn-garden/stay-home-dad-wins-right-front-yard-vegetable-garden.html

[peggy]

From the look of the picture of his house, his back yard appears to be nothing but huge mature trees. His garden looks nice now, and if he keeps it looking nice, I don't see the city regretting the ruling.
However, I don't really see where the fact that he is a 'stay at home father' has anything at all to do with the article. Or his garden, or his choices. I guess I don't get it.

[ApatheticNoMore]

All the fuss made with these gardens, I am tempted to conclude that some people just need to get lives (the nosey neighbors). :~)

[Wildflower]

Very nice looking garden! I think any garden in the front yard is fine as long as it is maintained well like this one...

[redfox]

From the look of the picture of his house, his back yard appears to be nothing but huge mature trees. His garden looks nice now, and if he keeps it looking nice, I don't see the city regretting the ruling.
However, I don't really see where the fact that he is a 'stay at home father' has anything at all to do with the article. Or his garden, or his choices. I guess I don't get it.

Being a SAHD probably meant he had the time to wrangle this victory...

[Tiam]

From the look of the picture of his house, his back yard appears to be nothing but huge mature trees. His garden looks nice now, and if he keeps it looking nice, I don't see the city regretting the ruling.
However, I don't really see where the fact that he is a 'stay at home father' has anything at all to do with the article. Or his garden, or his choices. I guess I don't get it.

Makes him sound better. Like a father who is trying to feed his children rather than some guy who maybe has a hobby. Everything has a spin.

[Wildflower]

Being a SAHD probably meant he had the time to wrangle this victory...

Actually, staying home fulltime with small children would mean that it is a great accomplishment that he has been able to achieve such a nice looking garden. I remember trying to garden when I was a SAHM with 2 toddlers. Nothing easy about it. Kids take up all your time!! BTDT ;)

[Gregg]

The lone vote against Tricamo’s garden came from board chairman, Joe Schroeder, who doesn’t seem too happy about the law being in Tricamo’s favor.

"The board felt that, technically, he had the law in his favor," Schroeder told the Post-Dispatch. "But I think that all of us on the board agreed that the garden is an eyesore. It goes against common sense, really, to put a garden in the front yard instead of the back."

It makes me sad to hear someone in a position of authority calling this garden an eyesore. When I was growing up people put gardens in side yards, front yards, back yards, vacant lots....anywhere there was sun. I remember the whole town, which wasn't very big, seemed to take pride in their gardens. Pretty much everyone had one, that's just how it was. And everyone was growing it as an important food source. These were working gardens. I can't seem to put my finger on when that started changing. The guy in the article is 29, that gives me some hope.

[puglogic]

I agree, Gregg. Not to mention the fact that gardening, to me, is the ultimate act of patriotism and self-sufficiency. Saves money, energy, and health, strengthening our community and our country. And you put a garden where you think it's going to produce the most. Front yard, back yard, side yard, highway median, vacant lot, building roof....

I have some hope too that some day these people will wake the hell up and see that our priorities have been skewed crazily. That some day self-sufficiency will be the norm, and bluegrass and ornamentals will "have their place."

[iris lily]

When I saw the photo of this little brick house I thought: that looks just like houses in the ST. Louis area.

Well, it is! Ferguson is a middle class 'burb. It's a fine place to live for others, but not for me.

[catherine]

So weird what some people will call an eyesore. I have a new neighbor who came in and immediately ripped out every living tree and shrub on his lawn. He had some lovely mature trees, and his house, like mine, backs into a park--well he cleared every last growing thing up to the trees in the park. Now he has dry dusty patches everywhere, bare tree stumps and roots, and in place of shrubs in his front lawn, he stores his kids' big plastic outdoor toys. And the St. Louis dad's lawn is an eyesore???

[ApatheticNoMore]

Pretty much everyone had one, that's just how it was. And everyone was growing it as an important food source. These were working gardens. I can't seem to put my finger on when that started changing. The guy in the article is 29, that gives me some hope.

Lawns are conspicious consumption. Got to show that you don't need the land for food but can have acres and acres of pure waste, why that's how wealthy you are, not one of them lower class people who needs the lawn for something besides pure show. It started with British nobles and why there's not much difference between joe middle class and a British noble now is there? Ok lawns have their uses but the pro-lawn ethos is conspicious consumption.


I have some hope too that some day these people will wake the hell up and see that our priorities have been skewed crazily. That some day self-sufficiency will be the norm, and bluegrass and ornamentals will "have their place."

It's the responsible thing to do. I like plants purely for looks as well. I APPRECIATE, totally appreciate, when someone has done something interesting with their yard (a boring lawn like every other neighbor has doesn't really cut it - have at least a little variation), even when it's purely ornamental. It's a little thrill. Man can not live on bread alone? Yea beauty and novelty also has it's place, but I think the whole human race is going to have to slide fast down Maslow's heirarchy of needs the way things are going. I rebel against it, don't like it. I like culture, complexity, all it implies but ... SHTF. And growing more veggies and less flowers is very little to give up in the scheme of things. Even if it's never forced by circumstances (and it may never be), it just might be the only ethical choice.

[bae]

I think his garden looks lovely, and I'd much rather have a neighbor with a garden in their front yard than a boring lawn.

[peggy]

So weird what some people will call an eyesore. I have a new neighbor who came in and immediately ripped out every living tree and shrub on his lawn. He had some lovely mature trees, and his house, like mine, backs into a park--well he cleared every last growing thing up to the trees in the park. Now he has dry dusty patches everywhere, bare tree stumps and roots, and in place of shrubs in his front lawn, he stores his kids' big plastic outdoor toys. And the St. Louis dad's lawn is an eyesore???

Are you sure it wasn't Iris killing trees in the dead of the night? I'm just saying...;)

[iris lily]

Are you sure it wasn't Iris killing trees in the dead of the night? I'm just saying...;)

haha, when I read about catherine's neighbor I was thinking "...and that is a problem because...?" The guy has a forest in his back yard. Why does he need one in front? Where's he gonna grow lilies 'n iris???!!!!

[catherine]

haha, when I read about catherine's neighbor I was thinking "...and that is a problem because...?" The guy has a forest in his back yard. Why does he need one in front? Where's he gonna grow lilies 'n iris???!!!!

I sure hope he IS planning lilies and irises, but I have a feeling his wife would freak out if they attracted butterflies or bees that came too close to their kids. I'm thinking they moved from Staten island or something. Nothing against Staten Island--but sometimes city folk have a hard time losing their city ways--even if they're just moving out to the 'burbs.

I'll keep you posted. I'm anxious to see what the plan is for his dust bowl.

[creaker]

I just don't get it.

I'm dogsitting for a friend in Brookline, MA this week - really nice, upscale neighborhood. No front yard food gardens - but many properties with enough foliage in their front yard to make the garden pictured in the article look sparse by comparison. I wonder if someone would make a fuss if one of these got converted to a food garden?

[catccc]

Actually, staying home fulltime with small children would mean that it is a great accomplishment that he has been able to achieve such a nice looking garden. I remember trying to garden when I was a SAHM with 2 toddlers. Nothing easy about it. Kids take up all your time!! BTDT ;)

ITA... unless you are willing to park small children in front of a TV or otherwise ignore them, being a SAHP does NOT mean free time! I did it for a little over a year and DH has been doing it for the last 2.5 years. Not a full blown garden, but we have kale and chard out by our mailbox...

[peggy]

Best way to garden with little kids....turn on the sprinkler in the yard next to the garden and add a few water toys.;)