The Edible Front Yard: The Mow-Less, Grow-More Plan for a Beautiful, Bountiful Garden

People everywhere are turning patches of soil into bountiful vegetable gardens, and each spring a new crop of beginners pick up trowels and plant seeds for the first time. They're planting tomatoes in raised beds, runner beans in small plots, and strawberries in containers. But there is one place that has, until now, been woefully neglected — the front yard.

And there's good reason. The typical veggie garden, with its raised beds and plots, is not the most attractive type of garden, and favorite edible plants like tomatoes and cucumbers have a tendency to look a scraggily, even in their prime. But The Edible Front Yard isn't about the typical veggie garden, and author Ivette Soler is passionate about putting edibles up front and creating edible gardens with curb appeal.

Soler offers step-by-step instructions for converting all or part of a lawn into an edible paradise; specific guidelines for selecting and planting the most attractive edible plants; and design advice and plans for the best placement and for combining edibles with ornamentals in pleasing ways. Inspiring and accessible, The Edible Front Yard is a one-stop resource for a front-and-center edible garden that is both beautiful and bountiful all year-round.

"The locavore movement has energized many to grow their own food, something that can seem at odds with the desire for a beautiful yard. Enter Soler, whose informative tips for growing fruits and vegetables that will not only taste great, but look great (overflowing with Summa's lush photography) makes for a timely, handsome guide. Soler (known for her popular blog, the Germinatrix) excels at describing garden projects; how to construct a sturdy but attractive trellis, espalier a fruit tree, build a unique corrugated raised bed, and dozens of other tasks are vividly explained. She profiles plants from amaranth to yucca, including fruits, vegetables, herbs, edible flowers and cactus. However, while basic cultivation and culinary information is provided for each plant, serious gardeners will need additional references to find specifics like varietal differences, and sunlight, water, and soil amendment requirements. Soler addresses structure, borders, repetition, texture, form, color, and hardscape in designing your front yard garden, providing detailed plans for three in existence. Finally, she tackles some of the less-fun realities involved, like lawn removal, building codes, and dry, packed streetside beds. She provides a brief introduction to organic methods, irrigation, and garden maintenance, as well as a list of seed resources. A well-designed and thorough overview, The Edible Front Yard is an enticing introduction to growing food beautifully. Readers, start your shovels. Photos. (Feb.)" Publishers Weekly (Starred Review) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

"A lively new book....Soler takes you through a wide selection of suggested varieties of vegetables, fruits and herbs that are as beautiful as any rose bush." Martha Stewart Living

"Tackles the question of how to incorporate edibles and veggies into your landscape without having the whole thing look messy." North Coast Gardening

"This delightful book is a great example of learning to color outside the lines and dispels the notion that an urban front yard should be a ceremonial expanse of useless grass." Dave's Garden

Ivette Soler is a garden designer and writer living in Los Angeles, California. Her plant design work for Elysian Landscapes, and her own personal garden, have appeared in magazines such as Metropolitan Home, Sunset, and House & Garden, as well as in several books. Ivette's garden writing has been featured in Garden Design, Cottage Living, and Budget Living, and she was the resident gardening expert on NBC's The Bonnie Hunt Show. Her popular gardening blog, The Germinatrix, originated in 2006 as a part of Domino magazine; since 2009, Ivette's blog has been thriving independently.