The strip of grass (on the left) is about 6-8" wide x 50 ft long and I hate mowing and edging it. Aside from mulching this, any suggestions on what to plant that is super low maintenance? The other side of the fence is just garden beds and gets watered, but this side gets little water and salted in the winter. Thank you!
by akosijen
16 Comments
It helps to know where you are located. I’m guessing either midwest or northeast if the roads are getting salted, but knowing the region will help people identify plants for you. FWIW, this is from the Missouri Prairie Foundation if that is anywhere near you:
https://grownative.org/salt-tolerant-native-plants/#:~:text=Wildflowers%2C%20Grasses%2C%20Sedges%2C%20Rushes%2C%20and%20Equisetum%20*,(Opuntia%20humifusa)%20*%20Purple%20coneflower%20(Echinacea%20purpurea)
Grow an annual flower, like zinnias. I also like the wildflowers suggestion.
Dig it out a bit, lay some cardboard, and fill with rocks. Shouldn’t have to touch it again.
I forgot to say I’m in zone 7a and this is east facing.
This is tough. Anything is gonna suck with a fence put this close to the sidewalk. Let this be a warning to people considering installing their fence this close. DONT DO IT! Either give yourself enough space to mow, or enough space to plant a nice garden strip! This space is going to be dominated by diagonal weeds if you try something else.
Sorry OP, I don’t have any suggestions. Hopefully someone else did something clever. Happy string trimming.
Might be enough space to put in some trellises and have some potted plants under would climb the trellis like peas or cucumbers. Or even some kind of climbing/ vining ornamental if not vegetable.
Noted. That would probably still be work and effort and it depends if you’re looking for that, or just to mulch and forget it.
Edit, The Eastern facing part of the equation might be tough to deal with though
Whirled milkweed, prairie guem, wild violets, shit maybe even buffalograss
Kill it and replace with clover or rocks.
Kill and replace with Yarrow! Grows low/ won’t get tall and fall over the sidewalk- beautiful white flowers that will look good against your fence.
Look for a ground cover you can replace with, such as thyme, creeping jenny, maybe even a stonecrop sedum? Those come in all kinds of fun colors and are fine in your zone. Those all need very little water so shouldn’t need much work once established. You’ll need to weed regularly for the first few years while they are filling in.
Sunflowers and marigolds.
Just put some nice gravel there instead. No worries about the salt in the winter and zero maintenance.
Why do you mow it? Looks? How tall does it get?
Along the fence… Kill the grass. Lay river rock, use a metal or plastic edging.
Sedum ground cover, not the upright variety. Drought tolerant and not very finicky. Thrives with neglect.
Why do you have to mow it?