Regarding boulevard plantings, I have a few words of advice. First, be careful that you don't put so much mulch and compost into your boulevard area that the bed becomes "mounded." Many of my neighbors have done this and it creates more problems than we can environmentally handle. Here's why: when it rains, water hits the exposed soil and washes it directly into the gutter. Water also hits the impervious surface of the sidewalk, and cannot drain into the mounded garden to one side, so it rushes, where it can, taking soil and sidewalk debris with it into the gutter/alley, whatever. Where does the water go then? Directly into our storm sewers and then into Lake Calhoun, or Minnehaha Creek, and onto the Mississippi. Better to create a depressed, "concave" garden, like a water garden (Saint Paul has encouraged these near sidewalks, parking lots, driveways) to collect water and debris rushing off the sidewalk and sloped, yard-side lawns.
Also, cars will still need to park at a boulevard garden site. You may wish to keep a strip of turf (which is actually a very good "filter" of runoff from sidewalks and gardens) nearest the street to accommodate swinging car doors and the feet of people exiting and entering cars. Anything you plant close to the street WILL get stepped on, and will get flushed with salt and sand during winter.
Remember, too, that the boulevard, technically, belongs to the Park Board, or a city entity, and not the homeowner. Therefore, anytime work needs to be done on curbs, sidewalks, water mains, etc, the crew doing the work will tear into your boulevard and do little to repair what they undo.
Try planting native plants, such as little blue stem, purple prairie clover, black eyed susans, and purple coneflowers. The Park Board is doing lots of native plantings in medians and near the bike/walk paths within the park and many of the prairie flowers are in full bloom right now. They put down deep roots, tolerate drier conditions, and attract butterflies, hummingbirds, bumble bees, and the like.
Good luck. Plant smart. Buy local. Go native.
Tracy Nordstrom professional gardener, prairie restorer, blooming boulevards winner, and clean water advocate in East Calhoun.
TEMPORARY REMINDER: 1. Don't feed the troll! Ignore obvious flame-bait. 2. If you don't like what's being discussed here, don't complain - change the subject (Mpls-specific, of course.)
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