Martha Gardens To Eat

Two years ago, the hubby and I purchased our first home complete with giant (by San Francisco standards) backyard. Only problem? The yard looked like this:






Which is to say..I couldn't eat anything in it. There were nearly three dozen rose plants. Quite a few dead trees. The landscape required significant weeding, watering and nurturing...all for what? So I could look at it?

Oh, hell no.

So I did what anyone would do. I ripped up, tore out, and killed 95% of the plants in that backyard. I don't care if you tell me there were prize-winning roses in there. Unless they taste like donuts, they had to go.

Instead, I created a culinary haven with:

HERBS! (from L to R, lavender, thyme, parsley, cilantro, rosemary)





POTATOES, AROMATICS, (sprouting) GREENS and TOMATOES!

And a bevy of FRUIT! (cherry, apple, pear and plum trees still a year or two from edible production, not pictured: lemon and lime trees, blueberries)












































The yard is still a work in process, as you can see. We've had a few failures - namely some green beans which yielded great but tasted like dust. We have a brick patio in the back that needs furniture. Next to it is a little patch where we'll plant strawberries. One of the veggie boxes is awaiting a crop of brussels sprouts and cauliflower.


I kept a couple of rose bushes...just so I didn't feel like such a bully. The tea tree has been trimmed but still gives the yard a splash of color and height. I can't eat those guys...but I can sure as heck eat most of everything else.