The Hellstrip Challenge
Keeping a garden alive and thriving is replete with its inherent challenges. Plants have needs, and those needs vary by plant. Lots of sun might be great for one, but harmful to another. Some plants are very drought-tolerant and don’t require much water beyond what falls naturally from the sky, while others insist on regular supplemental irrigation. Plants also have preferred soil types, and that soil must provide the proper balance of nutrients. Then there’s the litany of potential pests, diseases, and predators that can present themselves at any given moment. Frankly, it’s surprising that any garden stays alive – all things considered.
Some gardens have added challenges. They may be regularly visited and trampled by the public, who may or may not have pets in tow. They may be surrounded by paved surfaces, which increase ambient air temperatures significantly and can introduce contaminants to the garden in the form of road salts, petrochemicals, fertilizers, sediments, and animal waste. They may encompass utility boxes, water meters, and road signs that require regular visits and occasional maintenance. All of these things describe the plight of a curbside garden, also known as a hellstrip – that section of green space between the road and the sidewalk. Comparatively, backyard gardens are veritable havens for plants.
Hellstrips have been on my mind for several years now. It all started back in graduate school while studying green roof technology. One of the macro benefits of green roofs is storm water mitigation. During a storm event, green roofs capture a greater proportion of precipitation compared to conventional roofs and slowly release it back into the environment. Storm water is a major issue in urban areas where the percentage of impervious surfaces is high. These surfaces prohibit precipitation from infiltrating the soil and recharging groundwater and nearby waterways. Instead, this water is rushed away and directed into either waste water treatment facilities or local waterways, carrying with it the contaminants that have collected on paved surfaces and rooftops. Gardens along roadways can be engineered to manage storm water in a similar way that green roofs do – capturing it, filtering it, and releasing it back into the environment at a slow pace, thereby minimizing the negative effects of storm water runoff.
A Hellstrip Success Story
The hellstrip in front of my parents’ house has been the source of many headaches. It’s a weed patch, but not intentionally so. I remember many years ago when my mom told me she was going to replace the weed patch with buffalograss. She was elated by the idea – little or no mowing, very little supplemental water, a cool alternative to conventional lawn. Now, years later, after planting dozens of buffalograss plugs and making a concentrated effort to keep them alive and prospering, the hellstrip remains a weed patch. But my mom hasn’t given up hope. The hellstrip will be conquered in due time.
Riding my bike to work last summer, I regularly rode past a house that proudly displayed the potential that curbside gardens could reach. The house sits on the corner lot of an intersection that, due to the angle of the connecting roads, gives the lot a long triangular shape. This makes the hellstrip longer than most of the others in this neighborhood. On this lengthy strip, the owners have planted an expansive and diverse vegetable garden. While once upon a time, vegetable gardens were largely confined to backyards, they have lately been making more regular appearances in front yards. Few, however, are as bold and as public as this one – a true hellstrip success.
Discovering Hellstrip Gardening
Last year, garden writer and lawn alternative enthusiast Evelyn Hadden put out a book called Hellstrip Gardening. When I discovered this, I was intrigued, especially considering all of the mulling over hellstrips I had been doing for so long. I was curious to learn what she had to say. It has taken me until now to read it, but it seems like an opportune time to do so. After all, we are in pre-spring, a time when garden planning is being done in earnest. Perhaps this book will give me some ideas and encouragement to tackle some hard-to-garden spots this year. And maybe this review and Hadden’s book will inspire you to do the same. After all, this approach, as Hadden suggests, doesn’t have to be limited to curbside garden beds and can, in fact, be applied to any garden with challenges beyond the norm, like gardens along driveways and in alleyways, for example.
The ultimate goal for me, at least, will be to pass along whatever knowledge I gain from this to my parents, so that we can address their hellstrip issues once and for all.
Hellstrip Gardening: A Comprehensive Guide
Hellstrip Gardening is organized into four sections: Inspirations, Situations, Creation, and Curbside-Worthy Plants. This review will also have multiple parts that will be posted as I read through the book.
The first section of the book is intended to inspire and encourage – to show through words and pictures what others have done and to give you that “if they can do it, so can I” sort of feeling. It also introduces some of the challenges of gardening in hellstrips as Hadden visits 12 gardens across the United States and talks with the people who designed, installed, and maintain them. She tells the story of how the gardens came to be and showcases some of the plants and plant combinations that were used in each situation. The challenges will be fleshed out in the following section; these narratives are meant more to demonstrate what can be done. There are dozens of great photos throughout, and the short plant lists at the end of each profile are sure to be useful.
Now that we’re inspired, next week’s post will take a look at what Hadden has to say about addressing challenges and overcoming obstacles that are unique to hellstrip gardens.
Tackling Hellstrip Challenges
The second section of Hellstrip Gardening is all about the unique challenges and obstacles one faces when gardening in that stretch of land between the sidewalk and the road. Hadden has divided this section into eight main areas of focus, and she provides a ton of great information that is sure to be incredibly useful for anyone seriously engaged in improving a hellstrip.
Trees
Trees offer many benefits to urban and suburban areas, but it is not uncommon to see hellstrips with trees that are much too large for the space. Hellstrips are often surrounded by paved surfaces and are heavily trafficked, leading to soil compaction, which results in roots being starved of oxygen and water. Where there are power lines overhead, oversized trees must be heavily pruned to make room for them. Hadden advises considering small or medium-sized trees in these spaces, ensuring the soil is well-aerated and that there is enough space for the roots to expand out beyond the canopy. She also recommends avoiding growing turfgrass below trees, as it is shallow-rooted and uses up much of the available water and oxygen, and instead planting deep-rooted perennials that naturally grow in wooded environments.
Water Availability
Depending on your location, your hellstrip is either going to be water-limited or water-abundant. Water availability also varies depending on the time of year. If you’re mostly water-limited, Hadden suggests including plants that can tolerate drought conditions and avoiding planting them too close to each other so they aren’t competing for water. Increasing your soil’s water-holding capacity by adding organic matter and mulching bare ground can also help. Strategically placed boulders can create cool, moist microclimates where plants can endure hot, dry stretches. If you’re dealing with too much water, you can increase the absorption power of your property by ensuring your soil is well-aerated and high in organic matter, planting high water-use perennials, grasses, shrubs, and trees with extensive root systems, and replacing impermeable surfaces with ground covers and permeable pathways.
Soil Quality
Curbside beds in urban areas are notorious for having soil that is compacted, contaminated, and depleted of nutrients. This issue can be addressed by removing and replacing the soil altogether or by heavily amending it. Adding organic matter seems like the best way to improve soil structure and fertility. Because contaminants from paved surfaces are regularly introduced to curbside gardens, there’s a good chance the soil may contain high levels of lead and other heavy metals. Hadden suggests testing the soil before planting edibles and considering growing certain plants, like annual sunflowers, to remediate polluted soil.
Stay tuned for the next installment, where we’ll dive into the challenges of regulations, wildlife, and public interaction in hellstrip gardening.
Navigating Hellstrip Regulations and Public Spaces
The second section of Hellstrip Gardening continues with an exploration of the unique obstacles one may face when transforming that strip of land between the sidewalk and the street.
Regulations and Restrictions
Regulations and restrictions may prohibit you from creating the hellstrip garden of your dreams. Hadden advises starting by informing yourself of your area’s laws and covenants. Some restrictions may be based on public safety, such as restrictions on street trees, while others may be based on outdated ways of thinking. She doesn’t assume that a regulation can’t be reversed, but first, you must prepare a well-reasoned argument based on facts and evidence. Will your landscape design conserve resources, provide ecological services, improve property values, or enhance the neighborhood in some way? Perhaps your property can model a new landscaping strategy. Prepare to state your case respectfully, intelligently, and convincingly, and you might just find yourself at the forefront of a new movement.
Public Interaction
A garden growing along a roadway is sure to be confronted by vehicles. Hadden suggests using easily replaceable plants for vulnerable areas. You can also protect your garden by installing a low fence or wall or by planting sturdy shrubs, prickly plants, or plants that are tall and/or brightly colored. If parking is a regular occurrence, leave room for people to exit their vehicles without trampling the garden.
A garden surrounded by paved surfaces will be hotter than other areas on your property, so plant heat-tolerant plants or shade the garden with trees and shrubs. A hedge, trellis, fence, or berm can act as a wind and dust break and can help reduce noise. Aromatic plants can help combat undesirable urban smells, and noise can be further masked by water features and plantings that attract songbirds.
Wildlife Management
Wildlife can either be encouraged or discouraged, depending on your preferences. Discouraging certain wildlife can be as simple as learning what they need in terms of food and shelter and then eliminating it. A garden full of diverse plant life can help limit damage caused by leaf-eating insects. Encouraging birds and bats can also help control insects. Herbivory by mammals can be reduced by growing a wide array of plants and not over-fertilizing or over-watering them.
Conversely, encouraging wildlife entails discovering what they like and providing it. For example, to encourage large populations of pollinators, plant a diversity of plants that flower throughout the year and provide nesting sites, such as patches of bare ground for ground-nesting bees. Keep in mind that your property can be part of a wildlife corridor – a haven for migrating wildlife in an otherwise sea of uninhabitable urban space.
With the challenges of regulations, public interaction, and wildlife management in mind, we’ll move on to the creation and design aspects of hellstrip gardening in the next installment.
Designing and Building a Thriving Hellstrip Garden
The third section of Hellstrip Gardening is all about designing, building, and managing curbside gardens. As Evelyn Hadden notes, hellstrips are no longer boring sections of yard with little potential, but rather, they are full of possibility and have unique characteristics involving publicity and functionality that are absent from most of the rest of the urban landscape.
Embracing the Unique Qualities of Hellstrips
When deciding how to design and plant your curbside bed, it’s important to consider, along with aesthetics, the functions you wish to achieve, such as storm water runoff collection, food production, or wildlife habitat, as well as how you’re going to maintain it. You may decide to embrace minimal maintenance with a mass planting of a single species or mass plantings of a handful of species in sections called “drifts.” This can be very attractively done, but it also has the risk of a disease or pest wiping out a section of plants.
Hellstrips are the ideal place for plants that appeal to the human senses – plants that are aromatic, have interesting textures and bold colors, feel great underfoot, have aesthetically pleasing symmetry, and have unusual flowers or unique foliage. Hadden asserts that plants that invite touching engender goodwill, so consider the ways your hellstrip might make you a better neighbor.
Embracing Resilient, Replaceable Plants
Since hellstrip gardens are public spaces, they are not the place for rare and valuable plants. Instead, they are ideal for easily replaceable and self-repairing plants, including perennials that are easily divided, shrubs that reproduce by layering, creeping plants that send out runners, and plants with seeds that are easily collected and can be sown in bare spots.
One option is to plant only annuals, which eliminates the loss of plants during the winter when snow, sand, and/or salt are deposited in the beds by road clearing equipment. Just be sure to protect the soil with mulch or a cover crop during the cold months of the year.
Incorporating Diverse Topography and Microclimates
Diverse topography makes a more visually interesting garden and adds microclimates, letting you grow a more diverse array of plants. Shaping a curbside bed can also serve other functions, such as softening traffic noise, defining pathways, collecting runoff, and providing wildlife habitat.
When building a large berm, Hadden suggests creating a rocky base and then filling in the spaces between the rocks with sand and small gravel. After that, add topsoil and firmly pack it down. Small berms can be formed by simply piling up excess soil or turning over sections of sod and piling them up. Maintain good plant coverage on berms to reduce erosion, and consider planting shrubs with extensive root systems like sumac and snowberry.
Hellstrips are ideal locations for rain gardens and bioswales since they are typically surrounded by impervious surfaces. Storm water can be directed from these surfaces into your rain garden, thereby reducing the amount of storm water runoff that must be handled elsewhere.
In the next section, we’ll dive into the ongoing maintenance and management required to keep a hellstrip garden thriving.
Maintaining a Healthy Hellstrip Garden
The final section of Evelyn Hadden’s Hellstrip Gardening focuses on the long-term care and upkeep of curbside gardens. As Hadden emphasizes, time spent managing and maintaining your hellstrip garden can be greatly reduced when it is well-planned, contains plants suited to the site, and has good soil health.
Watering Wisely
Watering properly and wisely is key to the success of your hellstrip garden. Hadden suggests organizing plants into irrigation zones, separating those that need little or no water from those that need frequent or regular watering. When you do water, water thoroughly and infrequently to maximize deep root growth and drought resistance. Consider installing a drip irrigation system, particularly one that will direct the water to the roots of the plants and deliver it slowly. Avoid watering areas where there are no plants, as this encourages weed growth.
Reducing Maintenance Tasks
Choosing plants that will not outgrow the space will reduce the amount of pruning you’ll need to do. As much as Hadden is an advocate for alternatives to conventional lawns, she is also an advocate for reducing the use of gas-powered leaf blowers. Nobody enjoys hearing the clamor of a smelly, polluting leaf blower echoing through the neighborhood, so be a good neighbor and use a broom or rake instead.
Building Healthy Soil
Continued focus on building healthy soil is paramount to the ongoing success of your curbside garden. Continue to add organic matter by letting some of the plant litter lie and decompose. Plant nitrogen-fixing species like lupines and false indigos. As much as possible, avoid compacting the soil, especially when it’s wet, and keep tilling and digging to a minimum once the garden is planted.
By incorporating Hadden’s insights on watering, maintenance, and soil health, you can transform your hellstrip from a weed-infested eyesore into a thriving, low-maintenance oasis that beautifies your neighborhood and benefits the local environment.
If you’re ready to take on the challenge of A-1 Landscape Construction in Temecula, California can help. Their team of experienced designers and installers can work with you to create a stunning, functional hellstrip garden that meets your needs and exceeds your expectations. Contact them today to
