Front lawns and the power of "looking nice"

Ah, spring is here. Its warm and sunny and everything is green and growing fast. Well, somewhere it is, but not in my neighborhood at the moment. Things are still pseudo-dormant and we keep getting frosts that preclude me from planting directly into the ground. Yes, yes, I know, I should have started indoors etc. Bad Giant.

Anyhoo, for YEARS, I have railed against the uselessness of lawns. They consume resources in water, fertilizer, time, gasoline (for those who don't have electric mowers), all that, and all I get in return is grass that I can't utilize unless I had a flock of sheep. (yea, try selling that in Suburbia). I've wanted to plant wildflowers, but that is considered a nuisance since they go too seed in the fall and might impinge on others lawns. Can you see that? "Damn beautiful flowers in my monochrome green wasteland! Lowering the property values, that is!!!!"

So, the last option of course: grow food on the lawn, at least that will be productive use of the space. This is a mantra I repeat almost every time I mow the lawn. Of course the best sun on my entire parcel of land is the front of the house, but of course people consider that 'bad' or 'unsightly' or even 'low-class' to actually grow your own food in your FRONT lawn! "Gasp! what would Bitsy and Theodore say????"

Now being the kind of person I am my answer to those kinds of questions is ALWAYS - "screw 'em." However, massive changes to the abode has veto power by the Giant's Wife. For the longest time she wouldn't let me do it because it would "look bad." I.e. overgrown plots, no structure, Velociraptors waiting to pounce on hapless passers-by. It took weeks just to convince her to put the first garden in the backyard. (see requiem for a garden for details) But then it was easier to convince her to move it to the north side. Easier still was getting the two rain-barrels I have (which I have been remiss in documenting, again Bad Giant), but those went over well because she saw them on Living With Ed. Ah she needs to see it and that it CAN be beautiful! Eureka! So last night we see a news report on ABC about people "eating their lawn" and BAM! she's on board. I can't find the report, but here is something similar. Could not have been better timing really, this week the bed of English Ivy in the front of the house gets ripped out (I know its pretty, but its an invasive species and it breeds mosquitoes. Damn those Tigers!) Originally to be replaced with just a butterfly garden, but now will be host to vegetables as well!

OK lots of plans, I promise I will keep it documented.