How to Enhance Your Home’s Parking Strip
This often-overlooked outdoor area can be a beautiful and hardworking garden — and can boost your home’s curb appeal
That narrow strip between the sidewalk and street is an often-ignored landscaping opportunity. A curb strip, also called a verge, parking strip or hell strip, also can be a challenge to design and take care of. It requires plants that can take pavement heat, snow and ice (depending on the climate), and often pedestrian and dog traffic.
With the right design and great plants, your curb strip can become a standout part of your landscape. Read on to learn how to take it from forgotten to inviting.
With the right design and great plants, your curb strip can become a standout part of your landscape. Read on to learn how to take it from forgotten to inviting.
2. Find a Professional
Explore options for professional assistance to get the look you want, whether as part of a larger landscape design or remodel or a separate project.
A landscape architect or designer can create a plan that will cover both the hardscape and plant palette. He or she also can design a look that will complement your home’s architecture and existing plantings, and can advise on structural elements.
You also may need a landscape architect to address drainage, slope or other issues.
10 Questions to Ask a Landscape Designer | Find a landscape designer or architect near you
Explore options for professional assistance to get the look you want, whether as part of a larger landscape design or remodel or a separate project.
A landscape architect or designer can create a plan that will cover both the hardscape and plant palette. He or she also can design a look that will complement your home’s architecture and existing plantings, and can advise on structural elements.
You also may need a landscape architect to address drainage, slope or other issues.
10 Questions to Ask a Landscape Designer | Find a landscape designer or architect near you
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Let Houzz find the best pros for you
If you’re confident in your own design and plant choices, you might consider hiring a landscape contractor to help you bring the idea to life. This pro will focus on installation, including irrigation, garden bed amendments, hardscape and plantings. An experienced landscape contractor also can offer good advice on designs as well as planting choices for your area.
Browse Houzz to find local landscape designers and landscape contractors. You also can check out neighborhood message boards or get recommendations from friends or homeowners whose yards you admire. Narrow your list of pros down to your three top choices, then discuss your plans with all three before selecting one.
10 Times to Hire a Landscape Contractor
Browse Houzz to find local landscape designers and landscape contractors. You also can check out neighborhood message boards or get recommendations from friends or homeowners whose yards you admire. Narrow your list of pros down to your three top choices, then discuss your plans with all three before selecting one.
10 Times to Hire a Landscape Contractor
3. Gather Ideas and Refine Your Style
Decide what look you want for your curb strip. Will it be a continuation of your front yard, or do you want something different? Should it be a bold touch that stands out or a quiet counterpoint to the rest of the yard?
How to Refine Your Landscape Design Style
Decide what look you want for your curb strip. Will it be a continuation of your front yard, or do you want something different? Should it be a bold touch that stands out or a quiet counterpoint to the rest of the yard?
How to Refine Your Landscape Design Style
Think about if you want to fill the garden with plants or have landing pads to accommodate pedestrians and passengers exiting from parked cars. You might also include rocks, gravel or decomposed granite as a contrasting feature.
If you’re concerned about protecting the plants, consider an edging strip — one distinctive enough to define the planting area without being a tripping hazard.
4. Look for the Right Plants
Curbside plantings need to be resilient as well as beautiful, as they’ll be subjected to foot traffic and car doors. In areas with snowy or frigid winters, you’ll want plants that either die back or can handle snow piles and ice.
Finding plants that are hardy, beautiful and a match for your garden style might seem daunting, but a large selection of plants fits that description. Browse photos on Houzz or even take a walk through your neighborhood to get started. Work with a knowledgeable landscape pro to ensure that you choose plants that will thrive in your area and fit your other requirements.
9 Gorgeous Sidewalk Garden Designs
Curbside plantings need to be resilient as well as beautiful, as they’ll be subjected to foot traffic and car doors. In areas with snowy or frigid winters, you’ll want plants that either die back or can handle snow piles and ice.
Finding plants that are hardy, beautiful and a match for your garden style might seem daunting, but a large selection of plants fits that description. Browse photos on Houzz or even take a walk through your neighborhood to get started. Work with a knowledgeable landscape pro to ensure that you choose plants that will thrive in your area and fit your other requirements.
9 Gorgeous Sidewalk Garden Designs
A few plant considerations:
- Small shrubs and perennials will perform for years to come.
- Low-growing ground covers, especially those with variegated foliage or periodic flowers, can add color.
- Small trees, especially those that grow tall rather than wide, can provide shade.
- Avoid plants with abrasive or sharp foliage, which can injure people and damage cars.
A curb strip also is prime real estate for showing off a specialty garden. Choose a theme — for instance, native, drought-tolerant, pollinator-attracting, fragrance-producing — as your starting point.
Include bulbs to provide seasonal color from spring to fall. The surrounding plants can hide the fading foliage.
Include bulbs to provide seasonal color from spring to fall. The surrounding plants can hide the fading foliage.
Keep in mind the plants’ ultimate height and spread. Will the plants encroach on the sidewalk, impeding the way of passersby? If you’re planting trees, keep in mind that larger trees also have larger root systems, which can crack and buckle sidewalks. And trees with low branches can force taller pedestrians to duck or head out to the street. A landscape pro will be able to choose appropriate plants for your parking strip garden.
5. Prepare for Planting
If you’re not already working with a landscape contractor, your next step will be to find one who will take your design to the finish. Landscape contractors often can advise on materials and plants as well. Look for these pros on Houzz, check with neighbors or ask a local nursery. As with landscape architects, interview at least three to get a good idea of your options.
Whether you hire a pro or go the DIY route, keep these considerations in mind as you prepare for planting.
If you’re not already working with a landscape contractor, your next step will be to find one who will take your design to the finish. Landscape contractors often can advise on materials and plants as well. Look for these pros on Houzz, check with neighbors or ask a local nursery. As with landscape architects, interview at least three to get a good idea of your options.
Whether you hire a pro or go the DIY route, keep these considerations in mind as you prepare for planting.
- Because these areas often have been overworked or trampled, the key to success is to start with a loose, well-draining, nutrient-rich planting bed. Creating one includes digging up the existing beds, removing any unwanted materials (such as rocks), turning over the soil and adding compost. To install irrigation plumbing that ties into the main system, you or your pro will need to trench under the sidewalk.
- If you’re adding hardscape features such as flagstones or rocks, you or your pro may lay down landscape cloth underneath to prevent weeds. This is a good time to add large pavers.
6. Add Plants and Finishing Hardscape Touches
Set out the plants while they’re still in their containers to confirm their placement. Then it’s time to plant. If you’re doing it yourself, start with larger trees and shrubs, then fill in with smaller plants.
You also can plant any bulbs and sow seeds for future blooms, such as wildflowers, perennials and annuals. Then work in the finishing hardscape touches — such as rocks, gravel or decomposed granite — around the plants.
Set out the plants while they’re still in their containers to confirm their placement. Then it’s time to plant. If you’re doing it yourself, start with larger trees and shrubs, then fill in with smaller plants.
You also can plant any bulbs and sow seeds for future blooms, such as wildflowers, perennials and annuals. Then work in the finishing hardscape touches — such as rocks, gravel or decomposed granite — around the plants.
7. Finish Up
Once everything is in place, add drip irrigation if you are using it. Then mulch around the plants and water well.
You may want to set up temporary barriers along the sidewalk and street to keep people and pets away from newly established plants or seedlings.
Water well the first year to establish the plantings, even with a drought-tolerant garden. After that, water as needed. Keep up with weeding, especially in the first year. Once the plantings are established, you’ll likely need to weed less.
More:
How to Take Care of Your Newly Planted Garden
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Once everything is in place, add drip irrigation if you are using it. Then mulch around the plants and water well.
You may want to set up temporary barriers along the sidewalk and street to keep people and pets away from newly established plants or seedlings.
Water well the first year to establish the plantings, even with a drought-tolerant garden. After that, water as needed. Keep up with weeding, especially in the first year. Once the plantings are established, you’ll likely need to weed less.
More:
How to Take Care of Your Newly Planted Garden
Read more landscape design stories
Get landscape design ideas
Find a landscape designer or architect
Shop for outdoor products
This small patch of land can come with a surprising number of rules to follow. Before you start planning your curb strip, check local ordinances as well as any homeowners association bylaws to determine what you can and can’t do. There may be specific requirements for approved hardscape, plantings and mulch. You also may need to add a drip system or other form of irrigation.