modom (palindrome guy) wrote:
> On Fri, 21 Aug 2009 17:09:39 -0500, George Shirley
> > wrote:
>
>> modom (palindrome guy) wrote:
>>> Do any RFC-ers practice edible landscaping at home?
>>>
>>> http://ohioline.osu.edu/hyg-fact/1000/1255.html
>>>
>>> Fritz Haeg did a project down in Austin last year as part of his
>>> "Edible Estates" series:
>>> http://www.fritzhaeg.com/garden/init...ates/main.html
>>>
>>> Am I alone in my interest in this idea?
>> Our entire backyard is edible landscaping. We have nine fruit trees,
>> black berries, blue berries, a herb garden, a large vegetable garden,
>> and long strip beds along the fence line that are generally put into a
>> mix of edible flowers, ornamental flowers, and vegetables.
>>
>> If DW would allow it I would plant more fruit trees in the front yard
>> plus turn the flower beds into decorative vegetable gardens AND flower
>> beds. I guess I could always eat the roses like we do the pansies and
>> nasturtiums.
>
> Do you find it to be a lot of work caring for all that?

Not really, we both grew up in gardening and farming families and
communities and are used to it. The gardening strips are small enough we
sold our tiller and just use a shovel on the rare occasions when we need
to turn the soil. Ordinarily we don't bother. We mulch between rows with
layers of newspaper, covered with leaves we've picked up with the
mulching mower and the grass from the mowing season. Under the newspaper
are soaker hoses as we often get dry spells. Not right now, we've been
getting from one to four inches of rain daily lately.

The fruit trees need dormant oil spray in the winter plus a winter
pruning and then there are small prunings going on all year. Putting
fertilizer out takes a very little time. I'm retired so have all the
time I need, DW will retire in 2011 as she is determined to teach art
for at least one year in a school with an actual art classroom - her
school is being closed and a new one is being built to open in the fall
of 2010. She is bumping 70 yo and is only teaching half-time but she
loves teaching elementary students art.

>
> My gardening this summer has been mostly confined to the community
> garden here in Cow Hill, and I'm not sure I have the gumption to take
> on more just now.
>
> Still lawns seem sillier and sillier to me. I mean what's the point?

That's the way I am, we never had lawns when I was a kid. We had grass
but the cows ate that when we turned them into the "yard." Ie. the
fenced yard around the house. The rest of my Dad's ten acres was in
pasture or money crops, such as three acres of crowder peas one year and
tomatoes the next year. When DW and I married and moved to Texas we
lived on a half-acre on the back of Dad's property as he had given each
of we three kids that much land to build on. He was getting on in years
so for our twenties and thirties we farmed the rest of the property
and/or ran stock on it. Our kids grew up with chores in the garden or
the barn and enjoyed it. I think it is a matter of what your mind set is
more than anything. If you enjoy gardening do it, DW says it relieves a
lot of the tension that builds up in her from dealing with the school
bureaucracy. I was the same way when I was in corporate management, come
home and beat the hell out of the soil instead of slapping some stupid
person around at work.