Guest Post by: Dana Jones, AKA Baymule from TheEasyGarden.com
Here is a short article about how I started my garden.
About 8 years ago, I decided I wanted a garden. There was a small problem though, the
backyard was shrouded in shade. Grass barely grew back there. So I announced to my husband that I was going to put a garden in the front yard. He planted his feet like a balky mule and said, “NO WAY!” My husband, BJ, loves having a pretty yard and a scraggly garden just wasn’t going to cut it. I pleaded my case, pointing out that I would only have a small garden-just three beds between the driveway and sidewalk. The soil there was hard as concrete, his beloved grass wouldn’t grow there and it was weedy. Why, a garden would be a huge improvement. I explained how I wanted to use bricks to make walkways and how attractive it would look. He grumbled.
backyard was shrouded in shade. Grass barely grew back there. So I announced to my husband that I was going to put a garden in the front yard. He planted his feet like a balky mule and said, “NO WAY!” My husband, BJ, loves having a pretty yard and a scraggly garden just wasn’t going to cut it. I pleaded my case, pointing out that I would only have a small garden-just three beds between the driveway and sidewalk. The soil there was hard as concrete, his beloved grass wouldn’t grow there and it was weedy. Why, a garden would be a huge improvement. I explained how I wanted to use bricks to make walkways and how attractive it would look. He grumbled.My husband is a pretty good sport on my hair brained ideas. I went to 
church, he got a helper and had my three beds built when I got back. He was proud of himself and I was too. I lost no time in hustling up some horse manure and digging it into the hard dirt. I know, I should have composted it first, but there was no time to lose. I spent the next few weekends pulling weeds, jumping on the shovel like a pogo stick, trying to loosen up the soil that was doing it’s best hard rock imitation. I went to the feed store and proudly came back with tomato, squash and cucumber plants. I tenderly planted them in the vastly improved soil and watered them. They grew and BJ grumbled, “You hill billy! No one has a garden in the front yard! I can’t believe you made me do this!”
church, he got a helper and had my three beds built when I got back. He was proud of himself and I was too. I lost no time in hustling up some horse manure and digging it into the hard dirt. I know, I should have composted it first, but there was no time to lose. I spent the next few weekends pulling weeds, jumping on the shovel like a pogo stick, trying to loosen up the soil that was doing it’s best hard rock imitation. I went to the feed store and proudly came back with tomato, squash and cucumber plants. I tenderly planted them in the vastly improved soil and watered them. They grew and BJ grumbled, “You hill billy! No one has a garden in the front yard! I can’t believe you made me do this!”I sliced the first ripe tomato and served it at supper. BJ’s face contorted into pure bliss. He was hooked. Fried squash and sliced cucumbers soon followed and he began to brag like the garden was his idea! When fall came, I got broccoli plants, planted mustard green seeds, lettuce seeds and green onions. In the spring, I put in more beds all the way to the street.
It is possible to put vegetable plants in the front yard and make it look attractive. People 
drive by our house all the time and admire our garden. We live mere blocks from City Hall, how much more “in town” can you get than that? I like low maintenance, so I cover the ground with newspapers, cut a small hole in them and insert the vegetable plant in the soil. This way, I don’t have to spend my time pulling weeds. I also like to plant flowers in the garden. This does two things, the flowers attract bees, which pollinate the garden and they look pretty. My favorites are marigolds, periwinkles, petunias and zinnias.
drive by our house all the time and admire our garden. We live mere blocks from City Hall, how much more “in town” can you get than that? I like low maintenance, so I cover the ground with newspapers, cut a small hole in them and insert the vegetable plant in the soil. This way, I don’t have to spend my time pulling weeds. I also like to plant flowers in the garden. This does two things, the flowers attract bees, which pollinate the garden and they look pretty. My favorites are marigolds, periwinkles, petunias and zinnias.We live in southeast Texas, have scorching hot summers and mild winters. I grow a garden all year around. In early spring, I plant English peas and potatoes. Both of these have to have an early start because they can’t stand our Texas heat. In the summer I grow tomatoes, squash, green beans, bell peppers, corn, sweet potatoes and butterbeans. In the fall, I grow collard greens, mustard greens broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, carrots, and green onions. It is amazing what I can grow in our front yard, plus it is so fresh!
