resource conservation, ecosystem health, sustainability - What if my neighbors don't like the appearance of a vegetable garden?

Aesthetics are a concern in some neighborhoods. If you cannot develop a good rapport with neighbors, you may just have to make adjustments.

One option, with plenty of drawbacks, is to place the vegetable garden in an area difficult to see or behind a privacy fence.

Other more creative ideas are to use artistic trellises and other structures. As one performer once said, "If you can't hide it, decorate it!"

Select plants that are interesting and beautiful as well as tasty. Okra has fascinating flowers, and many peas are also used as ornamentals.

Potatoes can be grown in wire towers, where they form a lovely column of leaves. Garlic chives, an herb, can dress up the perimeter of garden beds.

Some of the most beautiful vegetable and herb gardens I have seen are raised beds in symmetrical patterns - circles, stars, sunbursts. How about training vines over a geodesic dome?

A gardening friend built a raised bed in a three-dimensional snail-shell pattern, with the outer portion at the lowest level, and each level rising progressively to a top layer.

Row cropping has been around for many years, and there were reasons for planting all one kind of plant in a long straight row. But we know that planting a polyculture (different kinds of plants) discourages pests and can look more interesting. We know that tomatoes will grow just fine in a circular pattern.

Squash and melons can be trained up on a trellis. For a rustic but neat and orderly look, you could set up teepee trellises in a circle or a row.

Freecycle and other sources can provide materials for your creative garden. So can tag sales and antique shops, even your neighbor's attic.