Go for it. Sometimes you have to use all your available space. Just beware that salt or calcium from winter plowing easily gets in that strip of grass at the sidewalk.
Nina

Yeah, I thought of the salt. On my road they don't plow much or salt due to cutting back. I had to call in a snow day to work last year because they didn't plow for a couple of snows, then they did and I couldn't get out of my driveway!

I have seen and heard of other people making a garden in the sidewalk strips. I say go for it. Around town here there are some gardeners that have used and planted up part of the sidewwalk strips (not with daylilies though)and it always looks nice. I especially pay attention to these things as I am almost out of room myself and have thought about that space myself. Anything I have seen, they have not used the entire thing but I see no reason why you should not do it.

Is the area your thinking about free from foot traffic, dogs/cats or a public utility running under it?

Dani, did you know that section is called 'The Devil's Strip'? Not that it matters!!!!! Just some trivia. I also think that term is only in northeast ohio, in fact in the city of Akron, there are signs to not park on the Devils Strip. I don't have such a section of grass, but I would certainly plant it!!!!, especially if you are not in a high traffic area. I think if people saw it was a flower bed, they would respect that and not walk on it.
Let us know what you decide. Cindy

No foot traffic, no dogs or meows and I know right where the utility sections are at.

I won't have a ton of babies to plant this year, so the section won't be too big. It will be my experiment this Summer! If it works, I'll dig up more, if not, back to grass it goes!

Devil's strip? That's awesome!

Dani

I live in small town USA, and there are no sidewalks. I try not to go on the little easement, and if I do, it is plants that are aggressive growers. But I probably would if I needed to.
kay

down with Silver Maples... yay!!!
(I'm about to get one taken out of the back yard!! more room more room!!)

Beautiful pic! Thank you!

Jerry Williams in Cinncinati (was on the '05 AHS convention tour) has daylilies planted in his entire parkway.
I have three small beds in my parkway. I've left a little grass to get into/out of a car. So far the beds are doing okay. They do get buried with snow in the winter, but we are far enough from the corner that not too much salt is put down. My zinc labels don't do as well as the daylilies--they seem to corrode badly (maybe there is a lot of salt there). I'm thinking about digging up the entire parkway and putting in a few stepping stones.
In the next town over, there is a house that has the entire parkway planted. If I remember right, they put in a very narrow walkway of pavers right along the street with an occasional walkway going from the street to the sidewalk.
So I'd say, go for it. Use that space.

Beth Dermody
Zion, IL, zone 5

Around here many people plant in the "parking strip" in fact, it is encouraged to plant something other than lawn to save water. There have been recent articles in garden section of newspaper and there was a segment on our local garden TV show this past weekend.

Just keep in mindÂif your town needs to dig up the parkway to access utilities, it is their right, with no compensation to you for any plants destroyed. That is why parkway trees planted there belong to the town and not to you. ItÂs an easement. ItÂs not a big issue with daylilies, as they could be lifted and replaced pretty easily. Assuming you saw them come to dig and could get out there in time. But I would not plant anything especially valuable or deep rooted in that spot. To make sure you could call the utility companies and have the lines for water, power, etc., marked, and plant far enough away from them.

That said, guess who has daylilies planted around her parkway treeÂ
But itÂs a small area and does not represent much time or money, nor is it on the sewer or water line.

Also, here people feel free to let their dogs urinate anywhere on the parkway, but donÂt usually allow it on the "main" part of the lawn. I have seen this many times. ItÂs like some unwritten rule. Somehow they think it is OK. And of course the dogs head for a plant or a tree to pee on, not just "on" the grass. The daylilies handle it ok, so far.

The dog walkers around here are one of the reasons I have not dug up a piece of the sidewalk strip in front of the house. You can't exactly tell them they can't let the dog pee there as it not your property. My street is the most popular dog walking area in this nieghtborhood. I recognize all the dogs and ther owners by now.

I have had my "boulevard" planted for 5-6 years now with various perennials, including many daylilies. They don't seem to be bothered by the road salt at all, or the piles of snow that get shovelled onto them in winter. I wouldn't put any valuable plants out there, just in case . . . Our city restricts lawn watering in the summer, but one can still water gardens, shrubs, etc. We have a height restriction for boulevard plants so one can see when backing out of the driveway. However it is rarely enforced. Even so, I would stick to average height daylilies, not the really tall ones.

Keep in mind what the snow plow does in your area too. If you have a high curb it might be fine. Here the curbs are very low, we are on a curve, and it is very common to have them scrape off a wide chunk of grass. The village replaces it but not until spring: meanwhile you have to look at this big scar.