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Gardening in the Planting Strip is easy with a free permit!

As the days start getting longer and the weather (hopefully) warms, we want to share info about one of our favorite things: gardening in the planting strip!

Apply for a free permit to turn the grassy or unpaved area between the sidewalk and street into a lush garden.

Here are just a few reasons to start a spring garden in the planting strip:

Sustainable fruits and vegetables

There’s nothing quite like fresh fruits and veggies, and one of the best ways to get them than to grow them yourself. Berries in the spring, heirloom tomatoes and raspberries in the summer, and squash in the fall: there are so many opportunities for you to grow tasty things!

For more inspiration on planting a food garden, check out the P-Patch program managed by our friends at the Seattle Department of Neighborhoods. They have loads of helpful info about gardening.

Photo by Anna Earl on Unsplash

Community building

Starting a garden in your planting strip is a terrific chance to get to know your community. Reach out to your neighbors and ask if they’d like to garden with you. Share your produce and build community bonds.

Gardening in the planting strip is also a great way to get kids outside and playing in the dirt. Have your neighborhoods kids plan their own garden and help them plant the seeds. Then, let them watch in amazement as their hard work bears fruit (literally!).

Photo by Kristine Tanne on Unsplash

Save the bees!

Pollinators are a cornerstone of our ecosystem. Planting a pollinator garden in the planting strip is an important way to ensure that our friendly bumble bees and other native pollinators have a habitat that sustains them.

It’s a win-win! You give them flowers for food, and they pollinate your garden for you.

Check out the King Conservation District’s website and this article from the Arboretum Foundation for more info on preserving our pollinators.

Pacific Northwest native plant Douglas spiraea. Photo courtesy of EarthCorps

Save water with native plants

Summers have been getting hotter and drier, and while green lawns look pretty, they suck up water like nothing else. You can save on water and help conserve our local ecology by gardening with native plants. Consider planting shrubs and wildflowers instead of grass and save your grass clippings for mulch.

Check out King County’s Native Plant Guide for lists of native plants and guidance on how to get started.

Getting started is easy, and we’re here to help. Take a look at our gardening in the planting strip permit page for a step-by-step walkthrough. The permit is totally free, and we are excited to help you plan your new garden!