Urban farmscapers are gardeners who find ways to grow food productively in urban areas. Avid gardener Patti Marie Travioli doesn’t have a large property, but she has managed to turn a sunny side yard into an urban farm that produces a steady supply of vegetables and herbs for her family 12 months of the year.
Patti Marie Travioli is an urban farmscaper, a phrase she coined to describe both her garden and her way of gardening. Her goal is to grow food in the city, in a productive and attractive way. “I can’t think of anything more picturesque than an urban farmscape,” she says. Her home garden is located in her side yard — the spot that receives the most sun.
Perfect for a small yard. Her plan for a summer-harvested 10- by 20-foot urban farmscape is ideal for a front, side, or backyard. Thanks to her plant suggestions, it packs plenty of production and curb appeal into a compact space. “This design will work very well in a small yard,” she notes. “The key is that it has to have a southern exposure.” Patti grows the crops in her own garden in raised beds framed with plain 2- by 12-foot pine boards, which are affordable and durable. “In my farmscape, I like to organize the garden, and I like the look of raised beds, which help me to keep plants where they need to be kept,” she says. She also notes that her raised beds make it easy to extend the garden season with cold frames.
The perimeter bed is 2 feet wide, and the center beds are 3 feet wide. “There isn’t much space for the 11/2-foot-wide paths,” she admits, “but it makes me feel as if I am walking between rows of edible delights!” An arbor marks the entrance to the plot; Patti suggests planting fast-growing annual hyacinth beans at the base so that by midsummer it will be smothered in pretty purple flowers followed by extremely ornamental burgundy-purple bean pods.
City plants. Patti’s plant choices are well suited to a small space garden. “I have selected varieties based on my experience, or sizes that grow well in an urban setting,” she says. “Tomatoes are one of my favorite vegetables, and I am becoming a master of pruning, caging, staking, and trellising.” Her top cherry tomatoes are ‘Gold Nugget’ and ‘Sungold’ because of their earliness, incredible flavor, and brightly colored fruits. She also grows carrots year-round. “Once someone grows winter carrots, they will be amazed at how naturally sweet and delicious a carrot can be,” she declares.
Lemony edging. Like any avid cook, Patti appreciates a steady supply of homegrown herbs, used fresh during the growing season or dried for winter. Near her sidewalk she has even planted clumps of lemon thyme to release their sharp, fresh lemony fragrance each time someone treads on them. “Guests come over and ask: ‘What do I smell? It smells so good!’ ” she laughs. And to attract beneficial insects, she interplants nasturtiums and calendulas (both have edible flowers), as well as cosmos, sweet alyssum, and ‘Helen Mount’ johnny jump ups.
To keep the harvest coming from early spring to late winter, Patti is a serious succession planter. “I start planting smaller quick-growing plants for fall once my summer crops are about to be harvested,” she says. “It takes a little practice, but once I got started, I began to look at the space in the garden differently.” She also divides her year into three seasons — spring, summer, and fall — with a planting plan for each, so that she stays on track of what needs to be seeded and planted for a nonstop harvest.
1. Entryway arch with hyacinth beans
2. Sweet peppers and lemon thyme
3. Cucumbers, sage, thyme, and dill
4. Sunflowers
5. Bush and pole beans
6. Large and cherry tomatoes
7. Oregano, basil, and hot peppers
8. Spinach, lettuce, arugula, radishes, and scallions
9. Eggplants and Swiss chard
10. Beets, cabbage, carrots, and broccoli