Hell Strip Makeover!

Ever hear of a “hell strip”? Most urban gardeners will be familiar with this phrase. It refers to those small, compacted patches of soil between the sidewalk and street. They rarely look attractive because of the harsh conditions: dry, hot soil, foot traffic, road salt, and piles of snow (if you’re in New England). Many people give up on these strips, simply seeding them with grass or letting them be  overtaken by weeds or worse, they exist as dirt pits. But I’m here to tell you that with a little work they can be a great addition to your garden and do a lot of good for our ecosystem!

Generally, plants in your hell strip should be on the shorter side for visibility (unless you are planting a tree). The most common conditions of a hell strip are hot and dry, so the new plants should be hardy and extremely drought/sun tolerant. For best results the plants should die to the ground in the winter so snow buildup doesn’t harm them. 

If your hell strip’s soil is extremely compacted, it’s a good idea to aerate the soil before planting - dig about a foot down with a spading fork to loosen the soil. Then, you’re ready to plant! Below is a list of our plant recommendations for a beautiful, pollinator friendly hell strip.

Perennials:

• Rattlesnake master (Eryngium yuccifolium)

• Yarrow (Achillea millefolium)

• Butterfly Weed (Asclepias tuberosa)

• Black Eyed Susan (Rudbeckia fulgida)

• Downy goldenrod (Solidago puberula)

• Stonecrop (Sedum)

• Creeping Thyme (Thymus praecox)

• Mountain Mint (Pycnanthemum)

• Pussytoes (Antennaria sp.)

• Nodding wild onion (Allium cernuum) 

• Dwarf Anise hyssop (Agastache)
  

Grasses:

• Little Bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium)

• Purple Lovegrass (Eragrostis spectabilis)

• Prairie Dropseed (Sporobolus heterolepis)

Check out a hell strip transformation we did at a client’s house this year!

Plants used: anise hyssop, rattlesnake master, stonecrop, pussytoes, and butterfly weed

We can’t wait to see how this little pollinator garden grows in the years to come!

Interested in transforming your own hell strip? Reach out to us today for a consultation!