A “Hellstrip” Garden

The client wanted to completely re-do their front yard with ecologically-appropriate native plantings. Phase 1—carried out in fall, 2022—entailed replacing the strip of land between the street and the sidewalk, known as a “hellstrip” for the tough conditions plants face there. My design draws inspiration from an old New England field with columnar eastern red cedars emergining from a field of drought-tolerant native perennials and grasses. The planting also includes a significant non-native element, namely spring-flowering bulbs to add color early in the season. Once established, the hellstrip garden requires no supplemental irrigation.