Judy Penney and Larry Anastasi

This garden has evolved over more than forty years from all lawn in front, where the neighborhood gang played until they got too old for kick-the-can and hide-n-seek, into many beds and paths moving all around the house. After reading Michael Pollan’s Omnivore’s Dilemma in the winter of 2009 Larry said, “Let’s have a vegetable garden.” That idea fit perfectly with our love of good food, as fresh and as local as possible. But where to locate it? The only suitable, sunny space was the front yard. A potager seemed too grand, but a jardin de curé–a French style garden combining fruits, vegetables, flowers and herbs–seemed to be the best approach. The vegetable garden begins its third season and is showing us what grows best. Becoming frontyard farmers has a large learning curve. No more cover crops (too hard to turn over) and peas just aren’t happy. But potatoes are pretty plants and productive, too. We count on arugula, lettuces, chervil garlic, shallots, leeks, and cipolinni. Bamboo tripods will again hold the heirloom beans from Césare Casella (find his bean salad recipe on the web) rosemary and thyme, peppers, cavalo nero (black Tuscan kale) and especially carrots will fill the four beds planted around the central urn which holds a citrus tree for the summer. If luck holds, for the third year there will be the volunteer ‘Cinderella’ pumpkin–which makes the best pepitas and extraordinary pie. Stroll the path along the porch. Continue on under the kiwi arch to the more established back yard and the patio where the citrus spend the summer. Pass under the beautiful arch covered in Clematis ‘Montana Rubens’ to the cobblestone drive where the ‘found’ table and chairs give us yet another space to enjoy, especially in May and June before mosquito season. Welcome... and yes, any hints or advice are welcome too.

 

 

Directions: From I-476 take Exit 3/Media/Swarthmore. At end of ramp take Baltimore Pike east to right onto Route 320. After railroad underpass turn left onto Rutgers Avenue. Garden is on right after intersection of Cornell Avenue.