52 Weeks of Neighboring - 4/8

Neighboring Tip of the Week - Plant a garden in your FRONT yard.

Welcome spring! We don’t know about where you are, but spring in Wichita has started out a little on the colder side. Still, spring planting time is upon us!

Most of the time, folks plant gardens in their back yard because it offers more privacy. With this neighboring experiment, we’re turning that idea upside down. We propose you plant a garden in your FRONT yard! Planting a garden in your front yard is awesome for neighboring in a variety of different ways. Here are few:

·      When you work in your front-yard garden, you open an avenue for communication. A good neighbor in Winfield, KS shared with us that she has been front-yard gardening for some time, but to help connect with neighbors, she now gardens without her earbuds. This is a small change, that makes a big difference. Front-yard gardening gives you an opportunity to talk with the person who walks their dog every morning or the mom who’s taking the kids for a stroll through the neighborhood or any other passerby you may meet. 

·      You can meet fellow gardeners. We’ve done a lot of garden-facilitated neighboring in SoCe, and we’ve found an abundance of neighbors who are incredibly passionate and talented gardeners. It has been wonderful to hear their stories and build friendships. 

·      It looks great and/or tastes great. If you choose to grow flowers, you can add great aesthetic to your street. If you decide to grow produce, you get food! This not only cuts down on your grocery bill but also allows you to share with your neighbors. Plus, homegrown produce is always a good option for a healthy and sustainable food source.

Let's plant those gardens in the front yard, and see if some new friendships grow!

Happy neighboring!