I have an artichoke in my front yard, maybe I will sneak a pepper plant or two, lots of fresh herbs. As long as I don’t have something really obvious, I’m sure the HOA won’t mind. Our HOA doesn’t allow people growing fruit or vegetables in the front yard either, but I have 2 avocado trees in container. So far I had one tiny fruit of the size of a small pear.
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I think if you also take care of what you have and are selective (no rotting tomatoes for example) you can squeak some plants through.
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Oh… I’m thinking some front yard (or side yard) basil might work nicely. The backyard place I tried last year was too shady.
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I think the trick to “public” plants - so not hidden in your back yard is to choose appropriate plants and style. Do I want to see giant purple
Tomato cages that are rusty in someone’s yard- no. Can you blend them in or use beautiful trellises that make them more like art in your yard? - yes!
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We live in an HOA, so no vegetable gardens or even fruiting trees allowed in the front yard.
Personally, I think it’s crazy that HOA even can prohibit raising your own food. Wanting it kept up and neat, fine. Prohibit it? Wow. Not my places or people TBH. We have food growing pretty much everywhere around our place including right next to my front porch, side door, and between that door and our driveway.
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All choices. People who buy into a HOA know there will be rules. People who don’t want rules don’t buy in the HOA!
Admittedly, people , neatness and gardens don’t always mix. People (LOTS) get real gung-ho about a garden and then peter out about first of August (just in time for the Midwest Tomato crop!) and stop maintaining it bringing unsightly rotted fruit, unwanted animals, overgrown not pleasing to the eye plants. I even see this at my community garden. I would not want that look as I take a walk in my neighborhood.
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I’m actually glad they do police the front yard, even some plants are not allowed but they slack off sometime. I see banana trees and crepe myrtle, they are not on the list of approved trees but I do see them in my neighborhood. Citrus trees are allowed but mine didn’t do well in the front yard for some reason, must be the bad soil, they all survive well in the back yard.
And that would be us. 
We’re quite ok with a natural look with plants. Most (all?) places have laws against trash and such things, which also suits us just fine.
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Another vegetable that would be good to plant in the front yard is asparagus, but that would be food for the rabbits. We do have hawks patrolling this area, I saw 3 at one time across the street from me, they do nest here in the big tall trees nearby.
Collard, this plant has been dependable greens for me all through winter, not sure it will make through to the summer or not. It’s shading my peonies right now. I do intersperse my vegetables and flowers.
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We are non-HOA people so don’t have to worry about that. Lots of front yard/back yard/side yard gardens, chicken coops, rabbits, etc, in our 'hood. I love it.
I have sad news to report though. Apparently I overwatered my tomato and basil seedlings and now they’ve got damping off. I think I will have to start a new batch.
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What is damping ???
I’m going to start sowing some cantaloupe seeds soon, why, I now have an egg carton for 24. Last year I had too many, I literally got bored eating them. My favorite cantaloupe is Ambrosia. I have the bed already prepped, just waiting for the weather to warm up, which is this weekend, it’s going to be spring soon.
Damping Off is the term for a disease of seedlings usually caused by various fungi which is most likely due in my case to overwatering and using last year’s pots. The seeds sprout and send up their little shoots with the first two leaves and then they wilt and die. I’m trying to save these, but w/o much real hope. I will plant more.
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More commonly known as root rot.
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Ahh, just didn’t know it by that name!
Damping off affects seedlings, usually before they get their first true leaves (the second set). It causes the seedlings to fall over, the stems get thin, and they are pretty much done for. Root rots can affect plants of any age. Damping off is the term for sudden seedling death.
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It’s near impossible to plant here because of deer. They are worse than the bunnies.
We have a problem with deer as well, and have started gardening on the deck (several very large wood planters with herbs and tomatoes ) and also put up high fencing around a small vegetable patch.
We have very hungry deer around here… if they see something tasty growing in my deck garden, they can go up the stairs to get on our deck! We now have to keep the deck gates closed and latched all the time.
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