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Over the years I got tired of mowing my 3000 sq ft of lawn, and slowly converted all but about 150 sq. ft. of it to a garden, now mixed with perennials and vegetables. My favorite project though was the final conversion of my front lawn to a community garden, since I have a superb location for sun-loving vegetables, and the space (about 550 sq ft). There are 5 individuals and 1 family involved. Knowing there were others who didn't have the right spaces, environment, or time to manage their own veggie gardens, I wanted to share the space! All our excess produce is donated to local food banks in the area.

See www.erasinglawnraisingbounty.wordpress.com to track our progress and activities.

My residence is within an older HOA, but it hasn't presented a problem, since I've actually enhanced the curb appeal, and we keep the space tidy. Another neighbor has just planted some dwarf fruit trees in his front area, where he used to have ground cover. We hope others will consider doing the same.

My remaining lawn satisfies the need for a patch to lay down upon, or sink my feet into, and well as being a utilitarian walkway. I never watered my lawn to begin with, so I was concerned about raising the water bill with a veggies garden, but it increased only minorly, with judicious use of soaker hoses.

Some lawn may be desirable, but how much does one need? Both can coexist, depending on the needs.

posted 3 years, 1 month ago
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