Homeowner pleads for help to beautify tricky landscaping space: 'What can I plant in this?'

Lawn maintenance can be time-consuming, financially draining, and sometimes burdensome, but curating the perfect sustainable and attractive lawn does not have to be a bother. Rooting native plants to replace turf can make lawn care simple, energy-efficient, and cost-effective. 

The area of land disconnected from the rest of the yard by the sidewalk is often ignored. This space, known as the "hell strip," can be used efficiently to beautify the exterior of a home while also benefitting the environment.

One Reddit user noted this unruly strip of land in front of their yard and took to r/Ceanothus to ask for advice on making efficient use of their hell strip. 

The original poster raised the question: "What can I plant in this hell strip?"

In the post, the OP shared a photo of an overgrown and weed-ridden space on their lawn, which hosts poppies in the spring. 

On the hunt for advice on what native plants to use outside of poppy season, the Redditor explained: "I'm in the central valley so drought and heat tolerant plants would be ideal."

Commenters debated what types of plants would be most environmentally friendly in the OP's climate, but they all agreed that native plants are the way to go. 

More and more people like this Redditor are replacing their turf with native plants. The National Wildlife Federation reported that 17% of U.S. consumers purchase plants native to their environments. Some other common turf replacements are clovers and buffalo grass. 

Clovers require less water than turf and need to be mowed less often. Buffalo grass, too, requires infrequent mowing. Including wild, native plants in the lawn diminishes the need for fertilizers, pesticides, and time spent on maintenance. In fact, homeowners can save up to $225 per year on water and $100 on fertilizer and pesticides. 

What's the hardest thing about taking care of your yard? Mowing the lawn 🏡 Controlling weeds 🌿 Keeping pests at bay 🐿️ I don't have a yard 🤷 Click your choice to see results and speak your mind.

Not only do natural lawns save individuals time and money, but they foster a healthier ecosystem, as Smithsonian Gardens explained. They attract pollinators and make obsolete hazardous pesticides that harm them. Pollinators such as bees, butterflies, and beetles protect our food and medicinal supply.

Eco-friendly and economical Redditors gave the original poster these tips. 

One user commented: "I know yarrow and silver lupine do really well in central California. I'm growing both of those in the Central Valley…"

Another advised: "Get some ithuriel's spear, soap root, onions, blue dicks, other bulbs - they're native to the valley."

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