I’m all for taking over the lawn and growing yummy delicious organic homegrown produce. So my latest take over is a section of the front garden. I plan to make another bed next to this one (maybe next year?). Mr Ecochick and John cut up some macrocarpa lengths and bolted them together for me. We put the raised bed on the front lawn and lined the bottom of the bed with cardboard and layers of newspaper. We then added mushroom compost on top (amazing stuff) and there you have a no dig garden.
I’ve planted a melon and some blue peas.
I’ve recently learnt about food forests from Jo from Kahikatea farm and so decided to build the bed around the guava. I’m also going to get a double grafted pear tree to put in the other end of this bed to act as the canopy.
I’ve planted sunflowers that my mum and John grew together and some beautiful red Russian kale for a bit of colour. I also planted some marigolds but might find something else to act as a ground cover. Any ideas?
The tomatillos are looking beautiful and looks like I might get some flowers soon. Can’t wait to eat these. I just read these grow to about a meter so I might need to dig two out and put them round the back. These need to be grown in pairs so they can cross pollinate.
So grow food not lawns. Has anyone else taken over section of their lawn? Enjoy your summer harvest.

Hi Madeleine, I am constantly wanting to take over sections of our lawn. If I had my way the whole backyard would be garden beds and fruit trees. The first garden beds I made were no dig gardens with layers of sticks (on the base for aeration), then newspaper, manure, pea straw, and compost. It is a very healthy garden bed with all those goodies in the mix. Happy gardening x
I know I’d be the same but I guess the boys need an area to play in. He he. That sounds like a fantastic raised bed what a great idea. Mx