Garden Plans

Dress Up Your Sidewalk With This Easy Street-Side Garden Plan

Dress Up Your Sidewalk With This Easy Street-Side Garden Plan

It's possible to create a beautiful garden in a challenging spot along a sun-drenched curb; you just need to use tough plants that can tolerate heat and drought well. This easy street-side garden plan relies on a mix of native perennials that do just that, plus they'll create an oasis of colorful blooms and foliage that will look good all summer long. Bees, butterflies, and other beneficial insects will also appreciate the abundance of nectar-rich flowers.

Plants for Creating the Easy Street-Side Garden Plan

The flowering perennials in this garden plan will provide weeks of summer color. In addition, a few fall-blooming natives such as aster, goldenrod, and turtlehead will extend the floral show until frost and provide food for many pollinators that are still out foraging until winter begins.

  • 6 Garden phlox (Phlox paniculata 'Shortwood'): Zones 4-8
  • 4 Blue false indigo (Baptisia australis): Zones 3-9
  • 5 Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum 'Northwind'): Zones 3-9
  • 5 Purple coneflower (Echinacea purpurea): Zones 3-8
  • 3 Smooth aster (Aster laevis 'Bluebird'): Zones 3-9
  • 4 Bee balm (Monarda didyma 'Jacob Cline'): Zones 4-10
  • 4 New England blazing star (Liatris scariosa var. novae-angliae): Zones 4-8
  • 4 Rough-stem goldenrod (Solidago rugosa 'Fireworks'): Zones 4-9
  • 2 Ox eye daisy (Heliopsis helianthoides 'Summer Nights'): Zones 3-9
  • 3 Turtlehead (Chelone glabra): Zones 3-8

If you can't find the exact cultivars listed above, substitute with other plants that offer similar colors, shapes, and sizes to still achieve the look of this garden plan.

Get the Free Easy Street-Side Garden Plan

This garden design includes an illustrated version of the planted garden, a detailed layout diagram, a list of plants for the garden as shown, and complete instructions for installing the garden.

Frequently Asked Questions

  • What are the best plants for the sidewalk?

    The best plants for this challenging area between the street curb and sidewalk are low maintenance plants that don't get overly tall. Planting bright, beautiful flowers and native perennials can enhance the curb appeal of your house while drawing butterflies and birds to the area.

  • What plants should you avoid growing near the sidewalk?

    Avoid planting oversized shrubs that could scratch or harm anyone walking down the sidewalk. Also be careful to keep the plants you grow below 3 feet tall so they don't obstruct views for drivers.

  • Can you plant trees near the sidewalk?

    Be careful when planting trees near a sidewalk because their roots will grow as the tree does. This can eventually cause the pavement to crack or lift, so make sure any trees that will grow large are at least 6 feet away from the sidewalk.

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