Round the corner from where I used to live in London, there was a family who used their front garden as a vegetable garden because it was the side of the house that got any sun. It was a beautiful little patch, mainly of raised beds and containers - really not very big because generally houses round there had a postage stamp for a front garden with the bigger space round the back. Used to make me happy every time I walked past it morning and evening. I was terribly jealous of their little enterprise until one day when I saw a big handwritten notice up on the front wall: 'Stop coming in our garden and stealing our veg!'.
Now I've moved cities and there's a stretch of houses down the road where the front gardens are massive and south facing and there's a row of a few houses that all have successful veg plots with apparently little theft if any. I think their secret is that they are on a main road with little pedestrian footfall. It does make me wonder though about how the pollution would affect the plants.
If you're planning on planting in the front make sure you've got a decent fence and a gate that you close (don't have to lock, it just close it)
Studies have shown thats houses with a fence/wall/hedge about three to four feet high and a closed gate are less likely to be burgled then ones with an open gate or no gate and a lot less likely then ones with an open front to the garden.
Its all about bounderies and a closed gate is more of a psycological barrier then that same gate left open.
People will also reach up a take stuff like fruit (with my parents house its holly) but are less likely to reach over a fence to take the same thing.
Only growing offensive plants or ones that don't look like food at the borders of your garden might also help (hide the leeks and stuff nearer the house)
jennyjj01 wrote:"I'm not in the least bit worried because I'm prepared: Are you?"
Londonpreppy wrote: At its core all prepping is, is making sure you're not down to your last sheet of loo roll when you really need a poo.
I was thinking about this ... a thin layer of a screen plant, like willow, might hide you from view (and be used to weave containers, as biomass, etc) ... and also, a bit container of bamboo might be a good to have. Some varieties are edible, and of course those are the ones you'd want. But nobody would *expect* it to be edible in this country - and you could perfectly well be growing it as an ornamental or even to support your plants in the back, tho that would make people curious about whats in the back.
ForgeCorvus wrote:If you're planning on planting in the front make sure you've got a decent fence and a gate that you close (don't have to lock, it just close it)
Studies have shown thats houses with a fence/wall/hedge about three to four feet high and a closed gate are less likely to be burgled then ones with an open gate or no gate and a lot less likely then ones with an open front to the garden.
Its all about bounderies and a closed gate is more of a psycological barrier then that same gate left open.
Sadly the 4 foot brick and ironwork wall and standard iron garden gate didn't stop the thieving scrotes nicking my former neighbours' broccoli!
Some good ideas , thanks to those who have taken the trouble to respond.
Unfortunately a wall , fence or screening is probably out of the picture. The area in question is right up to the footpath and the only "screening" present is a bed of mostly bluebells which are generally mowed down well before most veg would be ready. I could put up a small fence in their place to possibly stop people just bending down and picking stuff but gates on the drive are not practical so a fence could simply be walked around. The almond tree I have actually overhangs the path but nobody seems to bother pinching them and the herbs are clearly in view as well. The road in front of the house is probably one of the main roads of our small town but not too busy , pedestran wise it can get busy but that's only because of the close by school.Virtually the whole front garden is visible save for a paved section close to the house that now has a fence in front to hide all that firewood that offended someone.
Arzosah we seem to think alike in some ways. You mention bamboo to screen and I've used the same thing for just that purpose in an area of the back garden and use the cut pieces to support plants
Food is only going to go up so I'm seriously thinking of giving it a go and hope that the returns outweigh any losses through theft.
grenfell wrote:Arzosah we seem to think alike in some ways. You mention bamboo to screen and I've used the same thing for just that purpose in an area of the back garden and use the cut pieces to support plants
Absolutely
And its so *unlikely* a plant to eat in the UK, I think its a great prepping plant for the front garden. I've got a list of a few links about bamboo ready to research for the foraging book I'm trying to write, if I find a good edible species that will grow in this country, I'll bring this thread back to life and let you know.
Food is only going to go up so I'm seriously thinking of giving it a go and hope that the returns outweigh any losses through theft.
Between the economics of it, the quality of nutrition, and the concept of food security, I don't think you can go wrong doing this. Let us know what you decide to plant.
Arzosah wrote:I've got a list of a few links about bamboo ready to research for the foraging book I'm trying to write, if I find a good edible species that will grow in this country, I'll bring this thread back to life and let you know.
Bamboo has a lot of uses but is only really edible when the shoots are new and about a foot high. In that sense it is like asparagus - as food it is best used as early spring veggie before it gets woody. My understanding is that the shoots of all bamboo are edible (I have seen no confirmation of that yet) but that many are not worth bothering with. Post SHTF - well, probably, lots of things will suddenly be worth bothering with.
People interested in Forest Gardening are keen on bamboo and have identified some good edible bamboos which will grow in the UK. Here is a list clipped off Martin Crawfords Agroforestry Research Trust (ART) website http://agroforestry.co.uk Unfortunately they are all out of stock but you can reserve some for next year. The cost will be a fairly stiff £12 to £25 per clump - there is lots of demand.
Phyllostachys bissettii Bisset bamboo. Hardy, vigorous, moderately spreading bamboo reaching a height of 6 m and cane diameter of 45 mm. Forms spreading clumps of very dark green erect canes.
Phyllostachys edulis (P.pubescens) Moso bamboo. Vigorous moderately spreading hardy bamboo growing to 6 m high and cane diameter of 50 mm. Bright green canes mature to yellow. A major edible species in China and Japan.
Phyllostachys viridi-glaucescens Hardy, vigorous, moderately spreading bamboo reaching a height of 6 m and cane diameter of 35 mm. Forms spreading clumps of very dark green erect canes.
Phyllostachys vivax Smooth sheathed bamboo. Vigorous huge bamboo, growing to 8m high and with canes to 7cm diameter in Britain. Excellent for edible shoots and large canes.
Choice of plants is of course sensible. Most people know what a leek looks like but as others have said potatoes/Jerusalem artichokes are much less inviting.
