Timber Press recently held a contest on their blog for the worst of hell strips. For the uninitiated, a hell strip is that part of your yard where nothing grows. It can be hit with too much sun, poor soil near pavement, frequent dog attention, drunken humans and a host of other maladies.
After careful consideration, I determined that I have three hell strips with three very different sets of criteria. Below are photos of mine. Click to enlarge any photos you want to see close up, carnage abounds.
Doggie Fave: Hell Strip by Sidewalk in Front Yard
The Bowling Alley: Hell Strip Along Neighbor’s New Sidewalk and in My New Clay Soil
Garbage Man Can: Hell Strip Between Our and Our Neighbor’s Garage
“The part of your yard that hates you.” love it!
The tough plants that are surviving – practically thriving – in my hell strip (although my city garden could be described as one big hell strip) are geranium macrorrhizum, shasta daisies, rudbeckia triloba, nepeta and a pink variety of lamium.
Soil is very sandy, dry, and full of maple tree roots, plus garden is in full shade, with some occasional dappled sun part of the day.
As far as getting people to stop throwing trash, that seems to be unsolveable.
I’ve got a spot like that. Frustrating little spot. I have the urge to cover it in river rock and put a potted thing there instead. At least then the animals wouldn’t be stopping to pee.
You win for having a hell strip that’s really hellish, Snarky… mine is only Heck by comparison.
I get the dogs, some trash and even cats, but what made me rip some of it and put in native & adapted plants was disliking weedy drought-browned grass but also disliking water rolling down the street if I watered it.
July 1, 2010 at 6:13 am
“The part of your yard that hates you.” love it!
The tough plants that are surviving – practically thriving – in my hell strip (although my city garden could be described as one big hell strip) are geranium macrorrhizum, shasta daisies, rudbeckia triloba, nepeta and a pink variety of lamium.
Soil is very sandy, dry, and full of maple tree roots, plus garden is in full shade, with some occasional dappled sun part of the day.
As far as getting people to stop throwing trash, that seems to be unsolveable.
July 1, 2010 at 5:15 pm
I’ve got a spot like that. Frustrating little spot. I have the urge to cover it in river rock and put a potted thing there instead. At least then the animals wouldn’t be stopping to pee.
July 11, 2010 at 9:51 pm
We have a problem with dog walkers too. That’s why we put up a big chain link fence. *wink*
July 16, 2010 at 11:30 am
You win for having a hell strip that’s really hellish, Snarky… mine is only Heck by comparison.
I get the dogs, some trash and even cats, but what made me rip some of it and put in native & adapted plants was disliking weedy drought-browned grass but also disliking water rolling down the street if I watered it.
Hope your new plants can make things better!
Annie at the Transplantable Rose