Most often, you drive through a neighborhood and see a vast field of never ending, perfectly manicured lawn, plot after plot. Listen, yes, that is the sound of lawn mowers by day and crickets by night. The lawn provides a space of green that requires a lot of maintenance and yields nothing enjoyable at the end to anyone (except, possibly, to the quick passerby via car, foot or bike). I could almost bet, the last time you were in the front lawn was when you were mowing it (it doesn’t count if there is a path leading to the front door that you have to use).  What does your land provide for you? More legumes, less lawn (say this as a chant). With an increasing concern on industrialized food production and dependence on others mass producing for us, with little pay, unethical treatment, chemical exposure, poor quality product, a growing carbon footprint and despite our dwindling natural resources (breath now, soapbox, sorry), it has never been more important to redirect our dependence than now. Your home is the perfect place to start! Imagine walking out front to grab onions and tomatoes for a dinner salad, grabbing a lemon off your tree for homemade lemonade or running out to the nesting boxes for some fresh eggs. “Farm to table” food is much more nutrient rich than the produce purchased at a grocery store that has been traveling for 3 weeks from another country and likely sprayed with some toxic “fertilizer” ( a very misunderstood word).  If you have a few feet of space to work with, you can make a difference. Interplanting vegetables with your existing landscape is a great way to make a big difference in a small space and still enjoy the view. Companion planting with flowers and vegetables helps create micro environments within the space that benefits all bio systems and can help eliminate the need for chemical applications. It’s time to reclaim your space, allow the earth to provide for you, and take back the yard!  With the support of Urban Livestock Movements, and Urban Farming picking up speed, it has never been more possible and more important than now.  I hope you enjoy reading our successes, failures and lessons learned (not often shared by others, but certain to happen) as we begin to “grow self sufficiency in the city” one vegetable and one chicken at a time.

If you are living in the Boise, Meridian, Eagle or Nampa area and are interested in getting a free estimate on enhancing your yard with Edible Landscaping or Urban Homesteading and becoming more self sufficient, please send an email to splitpealandscape@outlook.com and we can schedule an initial consultation.

SplitPea Edible Landscape Services Offered: Raised beds, in ground gardens, vertical gardening, intensive gardening, permaculture, interplanting with existing landscaping, repurposed landscaping, new landscape design, total design overhaul, chicken coops, vermicompost, traditional compost, rocket stoves and more!

.SplitPea. Edible Landscape works hard to reduce our footprint and create as little waste as possible. We therefore encourage repurposing, relocating, replanting and buying local.

Here, mums are alternating with lemon thyme and layered in front of a row of Bear Paw Popping Corn and several varieties of melon. Trailing the front is a Sweetie Pie Pumpkin vine.