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đđźHi there.
If you're thinking of transforming your parking strip into a garden or just want to clean up "the vegetation between the sidewalk and curb" as one 2xEDGE customer put it, we've got tips and info for you from folks who've done just that.
But first -
What Is a Parking Strip?
The parking strip (also known as "hell strip", "park strip", "parkway strip", "tree lawn", "curbside garden") is that area between the street and sidewalk that is commonplace in many cities towns, and suburban streetscapes.
Depending on your landscape design, this narrow strip of land can be a terrific planting strip on its own or an extension of your front yard garden.
But make no mistake: this public space is a notoriously difficult area to garden.
Why Is Parking Strip Gardening Called the Ultimate Challenge?
There are many factors that make parking strip plantings challenging:
- people getting in and out of cars and delivery trucks;
- dogs doing what dogs do;
- the roots of street trees growing down low and up high;
- travelers making their way to various destinations on foot.
These and other realities mean that park strip plantings come second to the needs of people and pets getting from point A to B with little attention paid to the havoc that foot traffic can wreak on a garden.
Why Bother?
Hellstrip gardening sends a message to all who approach that something (beautiful) is happening here - proceed with caution.
Beautifying this often ignored gardening space can bring many benefits including and beyond increasing the curb appeal of your home.
If you're a gardener, one big benefit is the many square feet of gardening space you'll gain by repurposing your parking strip into a garden oasis.
Ok, But Why Bother With Installing Landscape Edging?
In addition to adding visual interest, landscape edging can help you create an optimal gardening space.
Amend and Build Up Soil
Regardless of the types of plants you plan to grow - native plants, perennial plants, annuals, ornamental grasses, native grasses, tough ground covers, low shrubs, tall trees - adding landscape edging to your parking strip design provides the opportunity to add soil, compost, and mulch to your planting area.
Depending on the edging you install you can add many inches of growth supportive mediums and give all of your streetside plantings a chance to truly thrive.
(Using 2xEDGE Staples you can add up to 5.5-inches of soil, compost, or mulch. Just sayin'...)
Decrease Water Use
The extra nutrients from added soil and compost will support plant roots, and an organic mulch cover will prolong soil moisture and promote water conservation.
As climate temps climb, creating a drought-tolerant landscape (that adds tons of curb appeal) is just smart.
Contain Your Garden Space
Landscape edging will not only help you build up your planting bed and create optimal gardening space, it's also a great way to contain added soil, compost, and mulch.
Since parking strips are right next to the public sidewalk, keeping dirt and mulch contained is a neighborly thing to do.
Easily Prepare Your Garden Beds
Is your parking strip currently a patch of grass that requires gallons and gallons and gallons of water to maintain? Thinking about replacing it with, say, a low maintenance, drought-tolerant garden? Good idea!
Here's an easy way to move away from lawn and over to garden: Install edging and dump a thick layer of wood chips on top of the grass to kill it off naturally, spreading the mulch evenly across the whole area.
(If you're thinking of using cardboard to smother your grass here is some intel for you.)
Complete that edging/mulch installation in the Fall, and you'll be ready to create a parking strip garden in Spring. Or do your install in Spring and plant in the Fall. Your choice!
âGot it! Now, What Are The Gotchas?
Tips From Customers
Here are tips from 2xEDGE customers who have successfully created parking strip gardens.
Dealing With Sidewalk Blurble (Yes: Blurble)
City sidewalks are typically made by pouring cement into a wooden form. Sometimes the cement oozes out below the form, creating a blob of hardened cement inches below the soil surface.
The blob becomes an issue when you try to install a 2xEDGE Staple next to the sidewalk. Here's how a 2xEDGE customer handled this situation when it occurred:
"The only thing I had to navigate that was unexpected was that the sidewalk edging extends into the planting bed at a couple of places, so my 2xEDGE hit concrete when I tried to hammer it in. I just moved the whole thing in by 1/4- or 1/2-inch and the problem was solved!"
Expect Foot Traffic
Parking strips incur a lot of foot traffic. You want your landscape edging to stand up to foot traffic (including kids who see your landscape edging as a way to practice their balance beam skills).
Here's how an intrepid senior couple who used 2xEDGE Staples to install ~100 linear feet of 2x4 lumber and 24 staples solved for foot traffic:
"We ended up using an extra staple in the middle of each of our longest boards. Although they seemed sturdy, we wanted to be sure theyâd stand up to pedestrian and canine traffic. [The staples] look great, besides."
When Offered, Take the Easy Route
Transforming a parking strip into a thriving garden can be hard work. Removing grass, moving and removing established plants, shrubs, and trees, working with compacted soil, and more.
So when there's a choice to do some part of the work the easy way there's no harm in leaning into that option.đđź
According to our senior couple, installing landscape edging was the easy part:
"Prep of the bed itself was lengthy - we had to remove a lot of debris and old trenched-in 4x4s. But the installation of the 2x4s and 2xEDGE took only about 90 mins."
A household of 2xEDGE customers used 16 staples to install ~100 linear feet of 2x4 lumber in about three hours:
"It was definitely easy and straightforward to install. In fact, pounding the staples into the soil was very satisfying!"
And here's what a customer who accomplished a parking strip install solo in about 45 minutes using 11 staples to install ~50 linear feet of 2x4 lumber had to say:
"I thought it was super easy. The nice part is that the install was also very forgiving. So if I put something in the wrong place or wanted to level the board more I simply pulled the 2xEDGE back out and repositioned it."
Additional Considerations
Follow the Rules
Be sure to check your particular city's ordinances and local regulations regarding making changes to your parking strip. A Google search on the name of your city or town and "parking strip garden" or the like should get you to the info you need.
Power Lines
As with any project that requires digging or sinking something deep into the ground on your property, check with your public utilities to ensure you won't hit any utility lines. Check out 811 In Your State and stay safe!
Plant Placement
As you think through your parking strip garden design, plan for car and truck doors that will need to open (onto your parking strip) and close, and for people needing to get into and out of their rides - and plan your plant placement accordingly.Â
Tree Roots
If your parking strip includes an established tree or trees and there are visible roots at the soil level, proceed with a bit of caution.
According to the University of Wisconsin-Madison Horticulture Extension:
"The majority of a tree's roots grow horizontally in the top 4-15 inches of the soil. They do this because they need oxygen, which permeates from the surface of the soil."
We don't want to suffocate our trees!
It's a good idea to know what type of tree you're gardening around and what its particular needs are. You might check with a university extension in your area to learn what your tree requires.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is a parking strip garden?
A parking strip garden is a landscaped or planted area in the narrow strip of land between the sidewalk and the street, often referred to as a "hellstrip", "boulevard garden", or "curbside garden". Traditionally covered in grass, these spaces can be transformed into vibrant gardens, enhancing curb appeal, providing ecological benefits, and making good use of underutilized urban space.
Why is parking strip gardening considered challenging?
Parking strip gardening comes with unique challenges. The soil is often compacted and lacking nutrients. Plants may be subjected to vehicle emissions and heavy foot traffic. In locales with snowy winters parking strip gardens may contend with road salt. Some cities have strict rules regarding plant height, visibility, and permissible plant types. Lastly, existing trees may limit planting options and make digging plant holes difficult.
What are the benefits of transforming a parking strip into a garden?
Converting a parking strip into a garden can have many benefits. A well-planted strip enhances the overall look of a home and neighborhood. Parking strips typically contain a lawn; replacing grass with drought-tolerant plants or mulch reduces mowing and watering needs. And deep-rooted plants improve water absorption, reducing street flooding. Tending to a parking strip garden improves soil health by loosening the soil and adding compost and organic matter. Pollinating activity is encouraged by the addition of plants that attract bees, butterflies, and birds.
How can landscape edging enhance a parking strip garden?
Landscape edging provides structure and protection for parking strip gardens in several ways. It helps to define the space as a garden and creates a physical barrier that discourages people and pets from stepping on plants. Edging keeps mulch, compost, and soil contained, especially after heavy rains, and prevents soil erosion. If the edging material you use has a certain amount of height it can help prevent garden beds from spilling over onto sidewalks or roads. Lastly, well-chosen edging can complement the home's landscape design, creating a cohesive garden space from curb to front door.
How can I improve the soil quality in my parking strip?
Since parking strip soil is often compacted and nutrient-poor, you'll likely want to improve it to create a thriving garden. Aerating to break up compacted soil and mixing in organic matter such as compost can set the stage for healthy plant growth. Adding garden edging and layering organic mulch or wood chips over existing soil will help amend the soil, retain soil moisture, and regulate soil temps while keeping soil and mulch from spilling over onto the sidewalk and street.
What are some tips for dealing with foot traffic and pets in parking strip gardens?
Foot traffic from pedestrians and pets can be hard on parking strip gardens. To protect against damage, you can use tough, low-growing plants that can handle occasional trampling. Direct foot traffic through your garden by adding a path or indicators like stepping stones. Garden edging around your curbside garden can send a clear signal that discourages wandering feet and paws.
Are there any regulations or guidelines to be aware of when planting in a parking strip?
There can be regulations to be mindful of. Municipal regulations vary by city so check local ordinances before starting your parking strip garden. For example, many cities limit plant heights to maintain visibility for drivers and pedestrians. Also plants may need to be a certain distance from driveways, fire hydrants, or streetlights.
How do I handle existing tree roots when designing my parking strip garden?
It's typical that your parking strip includes an existing mature tree meaning youâll probably have to work around tree roots. The root systems youâll encounter when digging around in your curbside garden are lateral roots (these grow outward near the earthâs surface) and fine roots (thinner strands that grow out of lateral roots). You can harm the tree and lead to instability if you sever major roots or cut away large quantities of fine roots. There are strategies you can use to keep your tree safe as you plant your new garden. Add a layer of compost and mulch over the soil to create a new planting bed and decrease the need for digging. You can also plant shallow-rooted plants that wonât compete with tree roots. Ask the experts at your local nursery (your gardening neighbors are also a resource) about shallow-rooted plants you can use that will thrive in your gardening zone and in your particular garden situation (shade, part shade, sun).
So, Now You Know
Hopefully you now feel equipped to take on the challenge that is: the parking strip garden.
Need more inspiration?
The customer quotes included above are just some of the thoughts and tips that are shared in interviews with 2xEDGE customers who used 2xEDGE Staples to edge their parking strips. Check out the complete interviews.
Photo Creditđ¸
Photos included in this article were taken by 2xEDGE and are licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International.
