Last January the Arthouse at the Jones Center here in Austin hosted an exhibit by architect Fritz Haeg called Attack on the Front Lawn. The hands-on installation presented examples of projects from Los Angeles to London to South Austin that transformed front yards into food gardens.
The presentation inspired a couple of good friends of mine, Courtney Morris and Martin Perna, to rip out the front yard of their East Austin home and fill it with vegetables. Last February the yard – before the gardens – had several established trees but not much topsoil.
Martin has a gift for inviting his friends over to perform hard labor and somehow making it into a party. We engaged in a series of wheelbarrow races, quickly emptying a truckload of compost into the newly created garden beds while Courtney removed some of the remaining weeds.
The partial shade in the front yard inhibits the growth of fruiting crops such as tomatoes, but has proved to be an excellent location for kale and other greens. The summer canopy provides some relief from Austin’s intense summers.
By October, the garden had come into its own.
Luckily, Courtney and Martin have an ample backyard with room for the rest of their garden and chickens. However, in the same spirit of the Fritz Haeg gardens, their front yard garden has led to conversations with neighbors about gardening and food.
Geoff and friends at Cobrahead. Thanks for the love and support in setting up our garden. We’re off to Nicaragua in February and are taking our short-handled Cobraheads with us down there for future garden adventures…gotta make sure not to pack it in my carry-on, though!
# Posted By Martin Perna | 1/21/09 3:47 PM
We began the conversion of our front yard into a bountiful garden last year. It isn’t providing a significant amount of square footage, only 500 or so, but the strawberries are prolific with a few dozen heads of garlic over wintering.
For anyone who are going to be living in there home for more than a few years, tearing up the front yard and putting in food is a great investment. It is also a great conversation piece for when friends and family stop by. Inspire by example!
# Posted By Scott | 1/22/09 8:32 PM
As an Arthouse employee, I loved reading this post! It’s extremely gratifying when the work we do – through the artists we commission – makes a direct impact on someone’s life. Art and culture do matter – and thanks so much for sharing your experience. I’ve forwarded to Fritz.
# Posted By Jenn Gardner | 1/26/09 5:12 PM