Front Yard Gardens: Growing More Than Grass

So many gardening books focus on the high-end gardens of a few wealthy people. This book is practical, whimsical, and full of photographs and stories about real front-yard gardens. The owners have to contend with problems like streetlights, copycat neighbors, variances, etc., and many of them are redesigning and planting on a budget. This focus makes the book truly inspiring as well as useful. A great investment in getting rid of your boring lawn!

Have you ever wondered why front yards in North America consist mainly of lawn? Is there a law that demands this? The writer starts by briefly reviewing the history of our love/hate affair with the front lawn and pointing out how costly they are in labour, water and poisonous chemicals.The writer then explains how she changed her ordinary, lawn-filled front yard into a garden, working around the objections of her husband. From there she explains the groundwork that must be undertaken when a plain front yard is changed into a garden. Most of the remaining chapters discuss different types of gardens - cottage gardens, minimalist gardens, small city gardens and so on. The writer presents each topic and then introduces gardeners who have developed variations on this theme. The final chapter "Overcoming Obstacles" shows how gardeners have coped with dry soil, steep gardens, a garden that must incorporate a fire hydrant or a power pole and so on. There is a reasonable resource list at the end.This is a really useful book for people who are tired of the front lawn but don't know quite what else to do with the space. The approach is relaxed and personal and has examples of gardens from Ontario to Texas. The advice is practical, the illustrations are relevant and show the gardens at different seasons. The writer knows her topic thoroughly and has given us a very readable and attractive garden book.

If you're thinking about putting in a front yard garden, buy this book! For years I considered getting rid of the grass in my front yard. This book inspired me to finally do it! I wondered how my neighbors would respond given that almost everyone in my area has grass in the front yard. I needn't have worried -- all summer people stopped to admire the garden. I was amazed at how many said they too are considering replacing grass with a garden.A side benefit is the time I've saved. I chose low maintenance plants and once the garden was planted, maintaining it took much less time than cutting the grass every week. Even if you don't want a front yard garden, this book is a winner. It's filled with beautiful pictures and is a great read. I've given it to a number of friends and, without exception, they too have really enjoyed it.

Just received this book and "Tauntons Front Yard Idea Book." That one and this one are filled with my post-its to mark pages that sparked ideas for my yard. This book in particular was interesting in that Liz Primeau describes the genesis of her thought process regarding her ordinary front yard. She reclaimed her property by developing her own vision of what it should be for her enjoyment, as opposed to what the tradition dictates what a suburban front yard should look like. Great book for reading, as well as beautiful pictures. Wonderful ideas, very nicely written.

Detailing more than two dozen gardens, Front Yard Gardens is instant motivation for anyone tired or mowing, weeding, watering and fertilizing lawns. With the author's short history of lawns and their demand on us and the environment it is clear to see why many may be happier if lawns went away. But Primeau certainly does not demonize the practice and fully admits that the problem is certainly not the plants - it is the way most of us choose to care for our lawns that impacts the land. Primeau's own garden was a decade long labor of love proving that eliminating a lawn can be arduous - but more arduous than lawn maintenance? Probably not. While the garden vignettes focus more on the individual space's history than providing how-to information, it is clear to see that diverse multi-species gardens can be immensely more entertaining than a single species mono-culture like turf grass. Several of the front yard gardens detailed in the book do maintain a small lawn space but most seem to have completely eliminated their lawns opting for lush garden plantings combined with hardscaping practicalities like paths, steps, fences and driveways, and, in one instance, even artificial turf, as well as fun garden features like ponds, bird houses, and sitting areas. Full color photos by Andrew Leyerle provide multiple views of the gardens, in some cases even highlighting their seasonal changes. A book for every garden style, level, and interest, Front Yard Gardens should not be missed.