Frugal and Energy Efficient Living

and lots of us had stuff growing in the backyard.

Eventually, many ended up finding more interesting things to do with their time and supermarket distribution became increasingly efficient. Then came the rules on just how your front yard should look.

Homeowners and condo associations forbade edibles and decreed just how high your grass should be. Towns, in the interests of looking so clean and tidy, also decreed what goes on your lawn. I remember living in Clifton, NJ and some guy with a ruler came around to see if our grass was the legal height.

Some condos have community gardens, and my town has one downtown. You don't get a large plot, but you do get one big enough to grow some of your favorites. We do have a lot of small farms around here selling food and flowers, but they are usually more expensive than the stores, and not always better.

I do see a resurgence in interest in backyard gardening, but it can be hard labor and when I tried it, I found out that I was feeding deer, mice, gophers, bugs and raccoons instead of myself.