Food, Not Lawns

OK all, it's time for a SUPER GREEN, Tree hugger post that ended up being really long...but it's worth it so read on...

For a while now Brian has been planning to convert our front yard into 'the jungle'! It first started with a in depth tour of a good friend's property. He has a city lot and it really is a jungle. He did lots of the planting himself just within the last 5 years and we walked away completely inspired. Then Brian read the book Food Not Lawns which really drives home the fact that we are wasting so much of the world's energy sources by having lawns that don't give us anything back. As they say...we should be turning our yards into gardens! The amount of water that people use to water their grass, especially here where we have a dry season, is staggering.  Lawnmowers spew pollution that worse than a car. Let alone the amount of sweat that is generated mowing a lawn with a push mower in the heat of a Florida summer is enough to make you call in the mulch man!!

We were lucky enough to get a 'hook up' on the mulch.  Brian stopped to chat with a tree service guy who was cutting trees in the neighborhood and wouldn't you know it ...in the next week we had 6 loads of mulch across our front yard, an appointment with the workers (and one of their little munchkins) to have them spread it over the weekend, and a promise of as many more loads as we wanted...ALL FOR FREE!!!
The mulching took place a while back...I'd say it was before Christmas!  And the neighbors have been giving us sideways glances ever since. Now that the grass and weeds are starting to pop through they're asking more questions.
Before the mulch we planted a bunch of bananas and now that the rains have started we put in a whole slew more trees!  Hopefully, the neighbors will see a little of our vision now.

We had a few trees already planted, but now that Brian and I have gone over the list as a whole, we sure do have quite a fruit basket in the making! Here's our list (with handy links for the weirder ones)...Navel Orange, Page Orange (Tangelo), Atemoya, Valencia Pride Mango, Hayden Mango, Moringa, Chaya, Coconut, Jaboticaba (Tropical Cherry), Strawberry Fruit Tree, Loquat, Egg Fruit, Persian Lime, Green Tea, Papaya,and last but not least more Pineapples. As you see all of these will be producing fruit of some sort and I just can't wait for the day when we can walk through our front 'jungle' and just pick snacks off the trees. Dex is already loving the Mulberry in the back yard and it only has one or two berries every two or three days. I bet he'll be in heaven when these get bigger.   

I have to say that I was a little skeptical at first,(maybe the sideways glances were getting to me) but now that the trees are in...I'm way into it.  I'm trying to think of other plants to put in the low growing areas, some more shade loving trees or bushes, where our paths will go, maybe a bench or two...so much to do now that the jungle-izing has gone into full swing.

SO...if you've made it to the end of this super long post...first of all...CONGRATS. Second of all, please consider taking even the smallest section of your yard and making it NOT lawn, but maybe a nice salad bed, a fruit tree with some edible flowers or greens under or even a herb garden.  In the end your tummy and the earth will thank you.

Comments

[danielle]

I am loving it!! I am very impressed & VERY inspired! I too dislike the 'lawn' and have been conspiring plans in my head to chip away at ours with large dreams of mulch, veggies, herbs & trees dancing in my head! It is great to see someone several steps ahead of us in the process so that we can have lots of inspiration and advice! Keep on diggin' on!

[Mom FL]

Let me know when the fruit salad is ready! I did stay home today again..couldn't go to work...so I had lots of time to read your post which I always enjoy!

[Heather Flores]

Hi there! I love this blog. I am so inspired by your garden! What a delighhtit must be to grow those amazing tropical fruits! Where exactly are you located? I would love to come see it...

Best of luck and thanks for reading my book.

Heather

[Ranae]

Even though we live so far apart I feel so close to you, with each of your posting I'm able to keep updated to your life! Thanks for sharing with us!

[Heather]

Umm...Ok! When you have chimp's and monkey's swinging from the tree's in your jungle, then I'll get worried!! However, Terri & Bindi (croc hunter wife & daughter) are looking for rainforest land for displaced monkeys... Maybe you'll qualify?!?!!? Just kidding! Love ya!

[Steph]

Honey, if you can convince my lawn-obsessed boy and all of the men in our neighborhood in the same category, this would ROCK! These guys literally compete over who can have the best looking, greenest lawn! I am pretty strict about the NO CHEMICALS on our lawn at least! Love ya!

[Tracey Erickson]

Oooooh, I miss Florida! Sounds like you guys are building your own park...sounds lovely!! I had some gardening questions for you like a month ago (Heather advised that you're a couple of green thumbs) but now it's too late to plant anything here in Indianapolis. :( I love what you're doing there...and love your blog. Take care Beth and Brian (and Dexter)!

[Raquel]

you guys inspired me again. we are making a dry creek bed originally 10x10 but we'll make it 20x20 now!