👹 Hellstrip Gardening

Photo by Emily Lovallo of her beautiful hellstrip garden bed on S. Graham Street. 

If you live in the city, you probably know that skinny little patch of grass between the sidewalk and the street. Some folks call it the sidewalk strip, the planting strip, or even the hellstrip! If you’re lucky, maybe you have a street tree growing there (yay!), but more often it’s just a neglected spot with grass, weeds, or maybe some bricks or rocks. But here’s the fun part: if you’re looking to squeeze in a bit more garden space, this little strip can be a perfect spot to add curb appeal and help out our local birds and pollinators at the same time.

An inspiring book I got at our local library is called “Hellstrip Gardening” by Evelyn J. Hadden. The photos showed just how much you can do with even the toughest little strip of dirt. She shares tips and plant ideas for spots that get full sun or shade, and for plants that stay low and can handle drought. I came away with so many ideas for adding more plants without obstructing parked cars or pedestrians.

It’s true, these little strips can be tough places for plants, with all the foot traffic, trash, dog messes, and winter salt. But there are plenty of native plants that are up for the challenge! I have a friend in the Friendship neighborhood who’s turned her busy, sunny hellstrip into a thriving garden, even with cars parking right next to it. She was inspired by the same book and decided to give it a go. Three summers later, her hellstrip is still going strong! She added a few stepping stones so people can cross, and her perennials keep blooming through the hottest days. Here are some of her favorite plants and a few others if you want to give your own hellstrip a try:

​Got a sunny strip? Here are some tough, drought-tolerant native plants that will love it:

• Low-growing ground covers: Wild strawberry and pussy toes (both happy in full sun or part shade).

• Under 1 foot tall: Wild petunia (with pretty pink flowers), nodding onions (prairie-style and super tough), and thimbleweed (white flowers).

• Medium height (2-3 feet): Liatris (blazing star), black-eyed Susans, catmint, anise hyssop, and aromatic aster (with bluish-purple flowers).

  
  

If your strip is shady, try these great ground covers:

• Foam flower (white flowers), wild geranium (pink blooms), and white wood aster (tiny white flowers).

  
  

And don’t forget about sedges or grasses—they’re super low maintenance, and you won’t need to mow them!

• Prairie dropseed, purple lovegrass, and PA sedge all grow to about 1-2 feet and are wonderful for pollinators.

  
  

If you’re looking for more ideas, check out some curbside gardening books at the library or browse online for inspiration. And mark your calendar—I’ll be hosting Rust Belt Natives for pop-up sales this summer in Garfield. Lots of these hellstrip-friendly plants will be available. Happy planning and planting!

Note from the author: This article is also featured in the June 2026 Bulletin for the Gardening Advice and Earthly Delights column