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Edible Estates: Attack on the Front Lawn, First Edition
The Edible Estates project proposes the replacement of the domestic front lawn with a highly productive edible landscape. It was initiated by architect and artist Fritz Haeg on Independence Day, 2005, with the planting of the first regional prototype garden in the geographic center of the United States, Salina, Kansas. Since then three more prototype gardens have been created, in Lakewood, California; Maplewood, New Jersey and London, England. Edible Estates regional prototype gardens will ultimately be established in nine cities across the United States.
Edible Attack on the Front Lawn documents the first four gardens with personal accounts written by the owners, garden plans and photographs illustrating the creation of the gardens--from ripping up the grass to harvesting a wide variety of fruits, vegetables and herbs. Essays by Haeg, landscape architect Diana Balmori, garden and food writer Rosalind Creasy, author Michael Pollan and artist and writer Lesley Stern set the Edible Estates project in the context of larger issues concerning the environment, global food production and the imperative to generate a sense of community in our urban and suburban neighborhoods. This smart, affordable and well-designed book also includes reports and photographs from the owners of other edible front yards around the country, as well as helpful resources to guide you in making your own Edible Estate.
Edible Attack on the Front Lawn documents the first four gardens with personal accounts written by the owners, garden plans and photographs illustrating the creation of the gardens--from ripping up the grass to harvesting a wide variety of fruits, vegetables and herbs. Essays by Haeg, landscape architect Diana Balmori, garden and food writer Rosalind Creasy, author Michael Pollan and artist and writer Lesley Stern set the Edible Estates project in the context of larger issues concerning the environment, global food production and the imperative to generate a sense of community in our urban and suburban neighborhoods. This smart, affordable and well-designed book also includes reports and photographs from the owners of other edible front yards around the country, as well as helpful resources to guide you in making your own Edible Estate.
128 pages, Paperback
First published February 1, 2008
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 57 reviews
December 3, 2015
maybe 3.5? documents 4 front yards in different usda zones going from flat & grassy lawns to abundant veggie gardens, ostensibly to show that even committed suburbanites can visibly grow their own food without being ostracized by neighbors... an art installation of sorts by fritz haeg.
doesn't really have as much detail as i'd like about the practical aspects of gardening & all seems rather slapdash for a work meant to have so much lasting political/social meaning; many of the starter-gardens were put in over the course of a couple of days simply to meet press deadlines. also spends a bit too much time on diary-entry-style ramblings from the owners of the lawns, though that's a bit redeeming as it shows people with no prior interest in permaculture practices getting all gung ho.
the regional planting calendars & maps are rockin, & there are a few nice visuals/ideas, but all in all it reads more like a coffeetable book for convincing the bougie in yr life he ought to start/accept gardening, & less as a reasonable source of information on HOW.
but fritz does say, after pointing out the book's inadequacy as a technical resource, "The ultimate goal of the project is to make our private land a public model for the world in which we would like to live," & i think it's done a decent job at that, esp as a front yard food garden does a hell of a job of introducing dialogue.
doesn't really have as much detail as i'd like about the practical aspects of gardening & all seems rather slapdash for a work meant to have so much lasting political/social meaning; many of the starter-gardens were put in over the course of a couple of days simply to meet press deadlines. also spends a bit too much time on diary-entry-style ramblings from the owners of the lawns, though that's a bit redeeming as it shows people with no prior interest in permaculture practices getting all gung ho.
the regional planting calendars & maps are rockin, & there are a few nice visuals/ideas, but all in all it reads more like a coffeetable book for convincing the bougie in yr life he ought to start/accept gardening, & less as a reasonable source of information on HOW.
but fritz does say, after pointing out the book's inadequacy as a technical resource, "The ultimate goal of the project is to make our private land a public model for the world in which we would like to live," & i think it's done a decent job at that, esp as a front yard food garden does a hell of a job of introducing dialogue.
April 17, 2009
I just finished this book which I had the library acquire for me (so glad they obliged!). It is interesting and inspiring. I'll never think of lawns the same way again. It goes into some of the history of how and why America came to be carpeted in turf (as opposed to walled courtyards or gardens or other landscape features you see in other countries) and presents growing attractive edibles as an alternative. Lawns suddenly seem altogether wasteful, even harmful, when you consider all the water they consume, the carbon emissions from mowing and other power tools for grooming and the pesticides that leech into the groundwater to maintain the homogeneous mono-species of grass. I totally want to rip up our front lawn now. It is amazing to see how much food can be grown in a small space too; I found the design layouts of the prototypes helpful as I start to imagine the possibilities for our own space. It is interesting to realize just how entrenched the lawn is when doing anything else is considered radical. This is beyond square-foot gardening and even xeriscaping: it's urban farming.
September 20, 2023
Interesting quick read. I found the tone of the book a bit too combative/transgressive at times (obviously suggested by "attack on the front lawn") but the idea of using our land productively instead of wasting resources on lawn grass is completely sensible, and the different garden projects are inspiring. Multiple authors contribute so while one is slightly grated by a writer proclaiming "defiance against the grid" built on slavery and male rationality by "ripping up the lawn", another writer delights with tales of the children invited into her garden who harvested baskets of flowers, "Bless their hearts, they taught me to take off the brakes and enjoy the garden with all my might."
I was fascinated by the idea in this book that lawns are associated with conservative values, and gardening is a progressive activity. For any Christian who loves the Bible, the idea of man as gardener is to me, about as conservative as it gets. Ignorance of this is, to me, just part of the stale cultural oddities that get pinned onto Christianity - being clean-shaven, mowing the lawn, etc. However pugnacious the book may be, it's reasonable, and however much the writers think they are challenging traditional values, when it comes to stewardship they are actually upholding God's oldest values.
"Lawns use more equipment, labor, fuel, and agricultural toxins than industrial farming, making lawns the largest agricultural sector in the United States." - Richard Burdick
I was fascinated by the idea in this book that lawns are associated with conservative values, and gardening is a progressive activity. For any Christian who loves the Bible, the idea of man as gardener is to me, about as conservative as it gets. Ignorance of this is, to me, just part of the stale cultural oddities that get pinned onto Christianity - being clean-shaven, mowing the lawn, etc. However pugnacious the book may be, it's reasonable, and however much the writers think they are challenging traditional values, when it comes to stewardship they are actually upholding God's oldest values.
"Lawns use more equipment, labor, fuel, and agricultural toxins than industrial farming, making lawns the largest agricultural sector in the United States." - Richard Burdick
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September 3, 2018This book was displayed at the library so I checked it out. What a great chance read. This is the second of three editions of the book. The first portion of the book is a series of essays on edible gardening, projects and lawns, each written by a different author. The next section details each of the front yard or community lawn transitions to edible gardens. We learn the details of each garden and the family or individuals who have offered their yard for the edible estate, how the neighbours react to the change in the front yard and the growth and changes of the estates during the year or following years. The final section lists growing zones and lists of plants and when they can planted in each zone. This is great read for those wanting to be inspired to replace that expanse of grass in their front yards and fun read for any gardener!
February 5, 2017
This book was both thought-provoking and motivating.
I'm ready to start planning my garden and figuring out how to make it bigger! It's currently in front of the fence but is behind a large spruce tree.
I wish the book had a follow up a few years after the start of each garden. Are they still doing it? What is working? How's the amount of maintenance?
I'm ready to start planning my garden and figuring out how to make it bigger! It's currently in front of the fence but is behind a large spruce tree.
I wish the book had a follow up a few years after the start of each garden. Are they still doing it? What is working? How's the amount of maintenance?
May 8, 2012
Definitely offered up a persuasive argument for ripping up your lawn and planting edibles in your front yard. I thought it would have more design ideas (perhaps the second book has what I'm looking for?) but the pictures, layout and first-hand accounts from gardeners were illustrative and colorful. Super easy read and had a lot of good information packed inside. Would recommend it to others.
February 22, 2019
This is really more of a scrapbook, with many different contributors, writing in different formats, and with lots of pictures. Obviously some parts flow better than others, and I admit none actually make me feel like I know how to get started. However, they do consistently affirm that doing this is possible.
Two points of interest. One, Haeg's designs vary, but he consistently does some things to change levels, and sets aside some space for gathering. These may come from his architecture and design background. Given how frequently people have mentioned the community aspects and increased neighbor interaction, visiting space seems like a very important consideration now.
The other was just kind of funny, but very real. One garden was for a family of four, and most of the input was from the father's blog, where he was very specific about saying that he wasn't attacking lawns or criticizing them. His teenage daughter wrote a piece that got some newspaper attention about the lawn needing to go. Yes, younger people can be more enthusiastic and less nuanced, and that can be okay.
Two points of interest. One, Haeg's designs vary, but he consistently does some things to change levels, and sets aside some space for gathering. These may come from his architecture and design background. Given how frequently people have mentioned the community aspects and increased neighbor interaction, visiting space seems like a very important consideration now.
The other was just kind of funny, but very real. One garden was for a family of four, and most of the input was from the father's blog, where he was very specific about saying that he wasn't attacking lawns or criticizing them. His teenage daughter wrote a piece that got some newspaper attention about the lawn needing to go. Yes, younger people can be more enthusiastic and less nuanced, and that can be okay.
November 10, 2021
A fantastic read or (quick page through) for anyone interested in growing their own food, looking into their environmental impact, bringing together communities, or redefining what values and ideas make up The American Dream.
The first part book does a nice job of briefly covering the history of lawns and how we came to place so much value in them, and how that mindset has impacted individuals and communities. The second part focuses on what the Edible Esates project is, gives examples of different yards in different growing zones, each with testimonials and essays from the homeowners. The back of the book even has resources for those wanting to start growing their own edible landscapes.
Despite being published in 2008, there is still a lot of valuable and relevant information in this text. Please read, even if it's just for the pictures:)
The first part book does a nice job of briefly covering the history of lawns and how we came to place so much value in them, and how that mindset has impacted individuals and communities. The second part focuses on what the Edible Esates project is, gives examples of different yards in different growing zones, each with testimonials and essays from the homeowners. The back of the book even has resources for those wanting to start growing their own edible landscapes.
Despite being published in 2008, there is still a lot of valuable and relevant information in this text. Please read, even if it's just for the pictures:)
February 24, 2024
Loved the documentation of the Edible Estates project -- how it developed and how it has grown. Would have preferred a bit more guidance about how families whose projects are NOT subsidized can get started, as it seems that most of the writers and most of the families profiled had certain advantages, industry connections, or subsidies that the average family would not likely have.
July 6, 2019
wish I had the time to make my yard an edible estate.
March 16, 2011
An unexpected sewer backup this winter resulted in a giant hole in our front yard. Rather than simply re-seed the lawn, I thought I’d explore some other options for landscaping the front yard and avoid the need to push the mower up the incline this season. Among other books I particularly enjoyed Fritz Haeg’s “Edible Estates: Attack on the Front Lawn.”
Edible Estates is part art project, part social experiment, part environmental activism. Haeg embarked on the endeavor of transforming front yards from expanses of grass into productive vegetable gardens. This book documents his project in three prototype gardens in varying U.S. hardiness zones in photographs, e-mail excerpts, diagrams, and blog posts.
The book opens with a series of essays ranging from the history of the American Lawn (think Jefferson’s Monticello) to front lawn gardening with children. Michael Pollan (The Omnivore’s Dilemma and In Defense of Food), contributes his thoughts on his conversion from mowing that began with apple, peach, cherry and plum trees.
Haeg is quick to point out the irony of spreading fertilizer and pesticide and dousing it with clean water in order to grow green grass only to cut it to within ½ inch of death and do it all over again, all the while contaminating the water sources and emitting carbon at preposterous rates.
Contrary to Haeg’s expectation that neighbors might complain about yards that don’t conform to the standard acceptable norm, the Edible Estates drew people together, provoking conversation and developing community.
I’d encourage you to pick up the book and give it a look. You might be surprised by what you find. While our front yard isn’t likely to feed our family for the year, perhaps if you stroll along Graceland St. NE sometime this summer we can enjoy each other’s company over fresh strawberries at the front stoop.
Edible Estates is part art project, part social experiment, part environmental activism. Haeg embarked on the endeavor of transforming front yards from expanses of grass into productive vegetable gardens. This book documents his project in three prototype gardens in varying U.S. hardiness zones in photographs, e-mail excerpts, diagrams, and blog posts.
The book opens with a series of essays ranging from the history of the American Lawn (think Jefferson’s Monticello) to front lawn gardening with children. Michael Pollan (The Omnivore’s Dilemma and In Defense of Food), contributes his thoughts on his conversion from mowing that began with apple, peach, cherry and plum trees.
Haeg is quick to point out the irony of spreading fertilizer and pesticide and dousing it with clean water in order to grow green grass only to cut it to within ½ inch of death and do it all over again, all the while contaminating the water sources and emitting carbon at preposterous rates.
Contrary to Haeg’s expectation that neighbors might complain about yards that don’t conform to the standard acceptable norm, the Edible Estates drew people together, provoking conversation and developing community.
I’d encourage you to pick up the book and give it a look. You might be surprised by what you find. While our front yard isn’t likely to feed our family for the year, perhaps if you stroll along Graceland St. NE sometime this summer we can enjoy each other’s company over fresh strawberries at the front stoop.
May 22, 2011
When I first heard of this book I was entering my "I want to have a totally native yard" phase. I put my name on the list at the library and waited at position 2 for over two years! My library finally figured whatever out and I gleefully picked this up and pored over the pages.
I'm a little bit of a boat-rocker and for some time I've wanted to have a buffalo grass lawn. I see now that even though my neighborhood is not a bastion of green-ness, it just would not be appreciated and have now set my sights on something more acceptable but still not a lawn. This book gave me just the inspiration I need to put things in motion! You don't need a lot of money to get something started, and while the yards in this book had the help of a massive crew and supplies provided for them I still felt like going out to my front yard and hoeing a corner of the weed-lawn that is currently there to plant some corn.
My goals are not so lofty as those who do something like this because of "the environment". By no means is keeping a garden a work-free option, but for me I find it less work than fertilizing, watering, aerating, edging and mowing a lawn is. I hope to bring more of a sense of the word Neighbor to my neighborhood by planting an edible estate. I used to have fears of someone stealing all my work, but I have decided to believe the best about people and if someone does take the food, they must really need it.
Enjoy reading and gain the motivation you need to create an Edible Estate of your own!
I'm a little bit of a boat-rocker and for some time I've wanted to have a buffalo grass lawn. I see now that even though my neighborhood is not a bastion of green-ness, it just would not be appreciated and have now set my sights on something more acceptable but still not a lawn. This book gave me just the inspiration I need to put things in motion! You don't need a lot of money to get something started, and while the yards in this book had the help of a massive crew and supplies provided for them I still felt like going out to my front yard and hoeing a corner of the weed-lawn that is currently there to plant some corn.
My goals are not so lofty as those who do something like this because of "the environment". By no means is keeping a garden a work-free option, but for me I find it less work than fertilizing, watering, aerating, edging and mowing a lawn is. I hope to bring more of a sense of the word Neighbor to my neighborhood by planting an edible estate. I used to have fears of someone stealing all my work, but I have decided to believe the best about people and if someone does take the food, they must really need it.
Enjoy reading and gain the motivation you need to create an Edible Estate of your own!
March 8, 2025
I picked this up randomly at the library, and it turned out to be a pretty good read! “Edible Estates” refers to a project to install edible gardens in the front yards of prototypical American homes. Of the 8 edible estates featured in the book, one is in Kansas (selected because it is the geographical center of the United States), one is in Lakewood, California, the poster child for suburban sprawl, and three are in front of apartment complexes in Austin, New York, and London.
Reading about the gardens is fun, but the real strength of this book lies in the introductory essays by Michael Pollan, Rosalind Creasy, and other environmental heavyweights. The essays discuss the psychology behind the monolithic American lawn. From English estates, to Jefferson’s Monticello, to the American myth that everyone is middle class, the front lawn carries far more meaning than its bland monoculture would suggest.
As such, to tear up your grass and plant a flourishing garden is a fundamentally subversive act. The Edible Estate prototype gardens demonstrate how ordinary front yards can be transformed into flourishing gardens. And, in so doing, they invite us to ask: What is the front yard for? It sure as heck doesn’t have to be a boring sheet of grass.
Reading about the gardens is fun, but the real strength of this book lies in the introductory essays by Michael Pollan, Rosalind Creasy, and other environmental heavyweights. The essays discuss the psychology behind the monolithic American lawn. From English estates, to Jefferson’s Monticello, to the American myth that everyone is middle class, the front lawn carries far more meaning than its bland monoculture would suggest.
As such, to tear up your grass and plant a flourishing garden is a fundamentally subversive act. The Edible Estate prototype gardens demonstrate how ordinary front yards can be transformed into flourishing gardens. And, in so doing, they invite us to ask: What is the front yard for? It sure as heck doesn’t have to be a boring sheet of grass.
January 3, 2009
I didn't quite get this book finished before we had to return it to the library. However, I read enough to know that eventually, we're going to end up eliminating our lawn entirely (or almost entirely). In the meantime, we're going to start by making our garden bigger. We're also going to continue our practice of deliberate lawn neglect - i.e. we neither fertilize nor water our lawn. We figure at least we're doing no harm this way. Nik says that this book is helping to turn him into a radical environmentalist!
What I probably most appreciated about this book is the idea that when we take our recreation and gardens out of our back yard and put them into the front yard, we also then invite interaction with our neighborhood and neighbors. The people who have participated in this Edible Estates project all said that they got to know their neighbors and that it was a way of reducing isolation and creating community. I found this to be true just from all the yard work that I did in the front of our house this summer. I met a lot more people and their dogs too! (Or I should say their dogs and then the owners!)
What I probably most appreciated about this book is the idea that when we take our recreation and gardens out of our back yard and put them into the front yard, we also then invite interaction with our neighborhood and neighbors. The people who have participated in this Edible Estates project all said that they got to know their neighbors and that it was a way of reducing isolation and creating community. I found this to be true just from all the yard work that I did in the front of our house this summer. I met a lot more people and their dogs too! (Or I should say their dogs and then the owners!)
June 14, 2008
What a great gift from Kerri! And it wasn't even my birthday... it was her birthday!
I thought this would be a how-to book, but the author clearly states it's not. It's more of a brochure/pamphlet for performance art, because that's what he's done - his lawn conversions are part of his artistic & political expression.
It was motivating for me, who is already a convert to the edible landscape plan. It was a couple of years ago that I saw a news report about a local lady who had converted her front yard into a garden. What I heard was, watering our front lawns (especially in SoCal,) is a complete waste. A waste of water & money. $$$ So my desire to ditch the front lawn has only grown since then. I won't let the boys play out front, so it's not even used for recreation. And we already have strawberries growing out front. After awhile, the whole yard will be converted!
We have big plans for our front yard, which requires money we don't have at the moment, but we can start with what we have.
I thought this would be a how-to book, but the author clearly states it's not. It's more of a brochure/pamphlet for performance art, because that's what he's done - his lawn conversions are part of his artistic & political expression.
It was motivating for me, who is already a convert to the edible landscape plan. It was a couple of years ago that I saw a news report about a local lady who had converted her front yard into a garden. What I heard was, watering our front lawns (especially in SoCal,) is a complete waste. A waste of water & money. $$$ So my desire to ditch the front lawn has only grown since then. I won't let the boys play out front, so it's not even used for recreation. And we already have strawberries growing out front. After awhile, the whole yard will be converted!
We have big plans for our front yard, which requires money we don't have at the moment, but we can start with what we have.
January 10, 2009
This book is not a step-by-step plan for converting your front lawn to an edible landscape (as I had thought). It documents a project that was about raising awareness that large expanses of lawn are not a good use of the land. I couldn't agree more. So what this book did was feature several transformations of lawns in various American cities (and one on a council estate in London) in areas where people haven't gotten the message about lawns being dumb. The owners of the lawns/gardens documented the process and it was really nice to read about how much community building it achieved. I love that. While I was a little disappointed that none of the trial lawn/gardens were in Portland, I realized that's because we are already on board with "assisted sodicide" here and we are already all about talking to our neighbors who happen to be out in their yards digging in the dirt in all weathers. Anyway, one of these years (soon!) I am going to go ahead and rip out our stupid and ugly front lawn, and plant it with veggies, fruit trees, and drought-tolerant, native landscape plants.
April 5, 2009
I was really excited about this book, and it was kind of a let-down. There's a passably good history of lawns, and several essays with reasons to get rid of your lawn & plant some food (including a piece from heavy-hitting michael pollan). This stuff was all a little redundant, but good for inspiration. There are profiles of four yards-turned-edible estates, but the profiles vary widely in quality. I prefer the profiles that read like journal entries, with coordinating series of pictures that illustrate how the lawn became a garden.
So, the intentions were good, the execution was slick. It is art/performance reported out in book form, not gardening handbook. I've been reading so many books on the same subjects lately, so this tiny little book didn't bring anything new to the table. If you were trying to illustrate your garden aspirations to a curious person, or if you needed some motivation to even consider gardening your yard, this would be a good starting point.
So, the intentions were good, the execution was slick. It is art/performance reported out in book form, not gardening handbook. I've been reading so many books on the same subjects lately, so this tiny little book didn't bring anything new to the table. If you were trying to illustrate your garden aspirations to a curious person, or if you needed some motivation to even consider gardening your yard, this would be a good starting point.
July 24, 2009
I found the stories in this book and the Edible Estates project to be really interesting and inspiring. I was amazed when I moved to San Francisco and noticed that what little yards people had were covered with easy to maintain plants that required little water. Most American front yards are planted with non-native grasses and a tremendous amount of fertilizer, pesticide, and water is wasted on it. This book describes these problems along with the conformity that is pushed into maintaining a lawn in a residential setting. The Edible Estates project plants back yard gardens in the front yard. Why should gardens be hidden or fenced in out of sight? This books gives examples of many people that have front yard gardens and how much more involved they are with their food as well as their neighbors.
July 14, 2009
I've never really thought much of lawns except that I think front lawns are a waste of space since no one ever really does much in them. After a casual discussion about front lawns, this book ended up in my hands. It's a quick read and details the history of the lawn, the water waste & chemical pollution that lawn care brings. Its manifesto is to tear up your lawn and build an edible garden. It's a political book that started off as an art project and it wants to cause action and attention. I live in urban Vancouver where so many lawns are gardens and not really a new idea, however I'm sure in the suburbs this might be radical thinking. What is really amazing is just how much vegetables one can harvest from such a small space. The book is nicely designed and definitely something to think about.
August 12, 2010
I have always held a bit of a grudge against my front lawn, and I'm afraid this book has only added fuel to the fire. The best part is probably the essays in the front, taken from several other authors (like Michael Pollan)that talk about the history of the lawn and reasons we may be so obsessed with it.
My new favorite mantra is "grass is a useless crop!", and am making slow plans to do away with mine.
The author has a web site of the same name where all of his projects are posted (I understand a second edible estates book is due out soon) as well as projects people have undertaken on their own. Gives a person way too many ideas.
My new favorite mantra is "grass is a useless crop!", and am making slow plans to do away with mine.
The author has a web site of the same name where all of his projects are posted (I understand a second edible estates book is due out soon) as well as projects people have undertaken on their own. Gives a person way too many ideas.
August 17, 2011
Skimmed the first section of this book describing the benefits of edible landscaping (read quite a bit about that already) and instead focused on the specific yards participating in this author's project in 2007. Interesting layouts for front-yard fruit and veggie gardens, even in the smallest of spaces. Love reading the reflections of the families participating in this project and their comments on the community's response to their lawn-alternative front yards. So many said that new relationships were built with neighbors and passers-by, ultimately leading to better health for many and a greener approach to maintaining property.
May 13, 2009
Great project, not so great book. This should have been a much larger format book with emphasis on photos of the gardens that were part of Fritz Haeg's project to remove suburban front yards and replace them with vegetable gardens. This is not a how-to book, but rather meant to inspire. It would have been more successful had there been more and larger photos.
July 14, 2008
This is a quick read, with 4 or 5 essays at the beginning about the tradition and wastefulness of the front lawn, and the idea of planting edible plants in the front. Stories of 5 Edible Estates gardens follow, and then there are several more short bits about people in different gardening zones who have dug up their front lawns and planted veggies. It made me want to read more gardening books!
October 24, 2008
I think this project is a very cool idea, but the book was kind of boring. I wanted more about each individual garden, and what the gardeners experienced--instead it was much more a discussion of why we have lawns, why we don't need them, etc. I think a little that would have been good, but it was just too much.
November 28, 2008
This book is definitely worth checking out. I found it very inspiring. It was cool to hear how much joy people found in having fresh vegetables to eat from their yard as well as the community it built as children and other people from their neighborhood started to come by and ask questions, and even help out.
It might not be too long until my front yard is gone too!
It might not be too long until my front yard is gone too!
September 8, 2009
The author of this book picks a property in several different regions of the country and transforms the lawn into an edible garden in one weekend with the help of volunteers. Most of the stories are told from the point of view of the homeowners and there are lots of pictures. Gave me some good ideas!
March 31, 2010
i rate this as amazing because everyone should read this book.
for me it was just good because of all the reading and practice i already do in reference to the topic of permaculture and sustainability.
Definitely worth a look-see, but also check out the website. . . its much more visually interesting
for me it was just good because of all the reading and practice i already do in reference to the topic of permaculture and sustainability.
Definitely worth a look-see, but also check out the website. . . its much more visually interesting
April 24, 2012
Great ideas, great book pointing the way to great transformations of our bland American yards, our misshapen evergreen landscaping huddling up by foundations, hemmed in by the expanse of lawn desert. My HOA will probably "get it" in 25 to 50 years. Or not. By that time we'll be a museum piece for that bland '70s suburban look.
For everyone else, YES! ATTACK THE FRONT LAWN!
For everyone else, YES! ATTACK THE FRONT LAWN!
May 17, 2012
I was disappointed with this book. The idea of putting edible gardens into front yard across America is great, but not that ground-breaking anymore. It seemed like a short-lived stunt rather than a long-lasting movement that would incorporate the community in the neighborhoods where these gardens were installed.
June 24, 2015
Really fascinating and subversive idea: turn your FRONT lawn into a farm. Alas, the book only touches the tip of the iceberg with examples of lawns, though it does have a fair amount in the appendices about planting schedules for different hardiness zones. It's just another rabbit hole for me to follow ad infinitum....
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