Curb Strip Plantings With Nepeta, Sedum and Iris
The garden is pulling into summer, which make it time for many of my favorite perennials. In our curb strips (known also as parkways, hell strips, etc), we have removed all of our turf and planted beautiful, low-maintenance plants instead. These areas have required some weeding in spring, but with that little time investment (as compared to spending 20 minutes mowing them every week!) we get something that is even nicer to look at, draws pollinators and help make this outlining area part of our garden. Now, we can walk down the sidewalk and enjoy the changing scene every day.
We actually have two large curb areas, and each has a succession of flowers and foliage build into their planting. Earlier this season, we had hundreds of Anemone blanda 'White Splendour' and Muscari aucheri 'Ocean Magic' in the side curb. In the front curb, also known as the Front Woodland, we had an early bloom of crocuses, daffodils and forsythia, followed by a shocking bloom of one hundred red Darwin tulips (Tulip 'Red Impression').
Curb areas can be scary to mess with, but there are also big rewards! I hope more people in the US are willing to be daring and get it a try. We have nothing to lose but our weedy turf. ;)
We actually have two large curb areas, and each has a succession of flowers and foliage build into their planting. Earlier this season, we had hundreds of Anemone blanda 'White Splendour' and Muscari aucheri 'Ocean Magic' in the side curb. In the front curb, also known as the Front Woodland, we had an early bloom of crocuses, daffodils and forsythia, followed by a shocking bloom of one hundred red Darwin tulips (Tulip 'Red Impression').
Curb areas can be scary to mess with, but there are also big rewards! I hope more people in the US are willing to be daring and get it a try. We have nothing to lose but our weedy turf. ;)
Catmint (Nepeta 'Walker's Low') grows low mounds in our curb strip over ground cover Sedum 'Acre'.
Iris siberica blooming with Nepeta 'Walker's Low' in our curb by the front sidewalk.
The front curb strip, or Front Woodland, has many more perennials to care it through the seasons. I recently added some catmint divisions here as well. Lamb's ears (Stachys byzantine), daylilies (Hemerocallis fulva), Geraniums, Iris si
Want more details about this and other DIY projects? Check out my blog post!
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2 of 19 comments
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Great job! I wish more people would work on developing their "hell strips". It's a wonderful challenge to develop a low maintenance, yet attractive area which often has numerous environmental problems.
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Thanks Phillip! It is so much more interesting to look at than weedy grass :)
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