Sneaky suggestions for a boulevard garden

A little backstory;
Where I live (A medium sized city on Vancouver Island in British Columbia, Canada) it is fairly progressive and we are encouraged to grow on the boulevard (I've also seen it called the hell strip). I live in a quadruplex, in the back upper quarter. We have access to a tiny shady backyard which we share with one set of neighbors. So I do have a small garden there, but am very limited to what I can grow.

The front neighbors however, graciously let me grow in a little 4x8 in-ground bed on the boulevard. First year I grew garlic, it was great! The full sun let me grow things much better than in the backyard. After the garlic finished, I put in brussel sprouts and cabbages. Once the sprouts started sizing up I noticed I was missing a few. No big deal, I assumed that would happen being beside the sidewalk (not looking for feedback on growing along the road, I know it's not ideal, but it's what I've got). Cut to a few weeks later and my sprout plants were being stripped. Like 3/4 of the mature sprouts were being harvested. I was super bummed and decided to cut my losses and pull the plants. I also harvested the cabbages small to avoid losing them.

Trying to brainstorm a solution, and realizing this is probably why I saw so many food producing boulevard gardens in my neighborhood transition to flower beds, I thought maybe I'd try a less sexy vegetable. So this year it was onions and beets. Maybe they would be less likely to pull an entire plant out of the ground, or not be interested in 'low value' crops.

I thought I'd gotten away with it until last week, when a couple onions went missing. This morning I woke up and about 1/4 of the bed had been harvested overnight. This jerk is treating my bed like their root cellar. I'm trying to be community minded but I'm honestly frustrated, and disappointed. Based on the pattern (always at night, taking one then coming back and gradually taking more and more) I think it's the same person. As far as food security goes, there are 3 places within short walking distance that distribute free groceries weekly including locally grown produce with absolutely zero barrier to entry, you just walk up and take it on the distribution days.

So, if you're still with me, my new plan is planting food that doesn't look like food. It still has to be something that I'm actually going to eat though, as this full-sun spot is very important to my ability to grow my own food. I've read a couple posts on here about stealth gardening for HOAs but couldn't glean any suitable suggestions.

Currently I'm thinking of Turkish rocket and jerusalem artichoke, both of which I have access to as they are already growing in the back. I'm hesitant to plant them in a plot that isn't technically mine, though.

So what suggestions do you wise permies have? I have put up a sign asking that people please don't take the veggies.

Thanks for listening to my ramble.

P.s. I was originally going to go back to garlic as it wasn't taken.. but this person has a habit of taking the biggest veggies and I have been carefully selecting for big, beautiful garlic for 3 years and don't want to risk losing my best.

I would plant Jerusalem artichoke (sunchokes) or artichoke if I felt they would not be too tall for that spot.


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Most folks would think those are just flowers.


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I feel most folks will feel these plants are too prickly to try to grab an artichoke fruit.

Some other suggestions:


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Mullein


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Good King Henry

Plant daylilies, nasturtiums, or other edible flowers.

At the risk of sounding like a broken record because I LOVE it,  sochan!    It's so yummy.   In spring adn early summer you can get a really nice big harvest and it bounces right back to produce beautiful tall ornamental yellow coneflowers in the late summer/fall that attract birds and bees and butterflies.   Most won't know it's food and you'll have a bigger patch every year.   To me it tastes a bit like a parsley/spinach combo!

I would plant a game-camera where it could see the spot and figure out what's going on.

I would absolutely *not* plant your garlic - the culprit either didn't realize what it was, or is kicking him/herself for missing the opportunity!  Now that they've decided this is their pantry, you may find nothing will keep them out.

I'd agree with what Anne's said. Grow things that most people don't recognize as food.

Amaranth - the edible seed/leaf version, not the 'just for the pretty flower' version.

Potatoes might work - some people don't recognize the plant. (possibly too late now, but for the spring.)

Lovage if you like it.

Herbs like parsley, sage, garlic and regular chives, oregano and some basil next year but it's likely too late now.

In particular, I'd plant a poly culture - only one or two plants of anything, so it looks more like a flower garden than a source of veggies. Then mix in the veggies, like Bright Lights Swiss chard etc.

It sounds like you also will need to pick stuff on the early side - don't let it get too inviting! So planting things like Swiss Chard where you can pick 4-5 leaves at a time and it will re-grow sounds helpful.

Yes, growing beside the road isn't ideal, but if it's residential that's not as bad as a busy road. However, do be aware of where driveways and sidewalks are and sightlines. I wouldn't plant tall things thickly if it's possible drivers won't see children running on the sidewalk.

Anne Miller wrote:I would plant Jerusalem artichoke (sunchokes) or artichoke if I felt they would not be too tall for that spot.


source

Most folks would think those are just flowers.


source

I feel most folks will feel these plants are too prickly to try to grab an artichoke fruit.

Some other suggestions:


Source
Mullein


source
Good King Henry

Plant daylilies, nasturtiums, or other edible flowers.

Some excellent suggestions. Jerusalem artichoke and good King Henry are good options for me, got me thinking I could transplant my salad burnett and French sorrel there too!

Heather Staas wrote:At the risk of sounding like a broken record because I LOVE it,  sochan!    It's so yummy.   In spring adn early summer you can get a really nice big harvest and it bounces right back to produce beautiful tall ornamental yellow coneflowers in the late summer/fall that attract birds and bees and butterflies.   Most won't know it's food and you'll have a bigger patch every year.   To me it tastes a bit like a parsley/spinach combo!

Wow, I'd never heard of it. A brief Google has me intrigued! And I think I've seen it in local seed catalogues..

Jay Angler wrote:I would absolutely *not* plant your garlic - the culprit either didn't realize what it was, or is kicking him/herself for missing the opportunity!  Now that they've decided this is their pantry, you may find nothing will keep them out.

I'd agree with what Anne's said. Grow things that most people don't recognize as food.

Amaranth - the edible seed/leaf version, not the 'just for the pretty flower' version.

Potatoes might work - some people don't recognize the plant. (possibly too late now, but for the spring.)

Lovage if you like it.

Herbs like parsley, sage, garlic and regular chives, oregano and some basil next year but it's likely too late now.

In particular, I'd plant a poly culture - only one or two plants of anything, so it looks more like a flower garden than a source of veggies. Then mix in the veggies, like Bright Lights Swiss chard etc.

It sounds like you also will need to pick stuff on the early side - don't let it get too inviting! So planting things like Swiss Chard where you can pick 4-5 leaves at a time and it will re-grow sounds helpful.

Yes, growing beside the road isn't ideal, but if it's residential that's not as bad as a busy road. However, do be aware of where driveways and sidewalks are and sightlines. I wouldn't plant tall things thickly if it's possible drivers won't see children running on the sidewalk.

Some really good advice. I agree that the garlic was probably a fluke. They also don't always wait for things to be ready (such as my onions) so harvesting super early isn't a bad idea. Part of me considered a patch of baby greens, but since I have a shady back garden that seemed like a waste of good sun.

Hiding things in a polyculture is genius! And honestly probably more attractive than just a bed of onions and beets. Thanks for your valuable input, I'm imagining some.mixed perennial and annual greens with potatoes and jerusalem artichoke.

I just thought of two more - Camas and Fawn Lily - both bulbs. Camas I think our Indigenous People only ate the bulbs of, but Fawn Lily, once established, you can eat a single leaf off individual bulbs in the spring as well as the bulbs. I've forgotten when they harvested the bulbs, but it would be easy enough to find out. I think the flowers of both bulbs are delightful.

C Murphy,

I don't know the rules for the space, but is it by chance fenced?  Your island is a very beautiful place with lots of wildlife in and close to the city.  If it can't be screened off, you may not be able to keep anything edible.  Your 'bandit' may be of the 4 legged nature and not necessarily a biped.  

If a rabbit, trash panda, or other critter is in the area, there will be little to do other than concede.  

Jack Edmondson wrote:If a rabbit, trash panda, or other critter is in the area, there will be little to do other than concede.  

I considered that possibility, but very few critters would take the whole crop of onions. I've not know Trash Pandas to take cole crops (Brussels sprouts). Deer would have focused on the leaves of the Brussels rather than the sprouts. All of the likely critters would have left more of a mess than described - more rampant destruction along with inconsistent harvesting. Unless C has a whole menagerie targeting her patch, I suspect her conclusions are sad but accurate.

Jack Edmondson wrote:C Murphy,

I don't know the rules for the space, but is it by chance fenced?  Your island is a very beautiful place with lots of wildlife in and close to the city.  If it can't be screened off, you may not be able to keep anything edible.  Your 'bandit' may be of the 4 legged nature and not necessarily a biped.  

If a rabbit, trash panda, or other critter is in the area, there will be little to do other than concede.  

Unfortunately a fence is both not allowed and probably a little over the top for a single 4x8 bed. While we do have wildlife, including deer, in the city, this is definitely a person. I have experienced pest pressure from racoons, rats and deer in my other gardens and this is pretty distinct.

Dahlias were originally a food crop. Some tubers have thick skins so I always scrub then peel. Use like potatoes. Each different color flower has a different flavored tuber. BUT roadside “hellstrips” soil is often lead contaminated from auto exhaust. I would seriously test the soil before eating anything grown in it.

Also, IF you test soil and still want to grow food, nettles. You can keep them cut shorter (they can go 6’). Reaching through nettles in the dark may convince the thief to mend his ways

Just wanted to share a follow up post, just over a year later!
My plantings ended up being Jerusalem artichoke, French sorrel, Turkish rocket, lemon balm, and some flowers (jasmine scented tobacco and borage). Happy to report that I haven't had a single thing taken, and best of all, they are all either perennial or self sowing so it's turned into quite the little polyculture. Also, I've found a pesto combining the lemon balm, sorrel, and rocket to be absolutely delicious and I often enjoy it on some roasted Jerusalem artichokes.
Thanks for all your input, hopefully this can help someone else in a similar situation.