One Los Angeles resident added some beautiful color to their neighborhood when they started planting California native species in their parking strip.
Parking strips, or "hellstrips," are notoriously difficult places to grow anything. They're surrounded by pavement, so they tend to get baking hot, and they catch the runoff from the sidewalk with any trash or chemicals that it may carry.
However, this Redditor had a plan, which they shared in r/LosAngeles. "A few years ago, I convinced my landlord to let me fence off the barren parking strip in front of my rental unit and transform it into a wildflower garden," they explained.
They then linked to several photos of the transformation. The "before" photo shows a patchy, weedy strip of dirt surrounded by cracked pavement and peppered with trash. But over time, the original poster managed to make it bloom: first with poppies, then with a whole variety, including poppies, desert bluebells, morning glory, California buckwheat, showy penstemon, manzanita, baby blue eyes, lupines, and sage.
The Redditor was selective about what they planted. "Unlike most 'drought tolerant' landscaping, which consists of a lot of imported species from South America and Africa, native plants are actually beneficial to local wildlife and the environment," they said.
Native plants are a fabulous choice for any garden because their adaptations make them easy to grow in the local weather conditions and soil types. They rarely need watering or any special care, so they're cheap to keep, similar to clover and xeriscaping.
At the same time, they attract and feed pollinators and other local wildlife, giving a boost to the local ecosystem.
"Hoping that someday the city will decide to landscape more public spaces with native wildflowers and perennials — something tells me the 'ugly L.A.' stereotype would disappear," said the original poster, who was satisfied with their work.
Commenters loved the transformation.
"Beautiful!" said one user. "Imagine how beautiful the city could look if everyone shared some of your imagination, initiative, and dedication."
"This is insanely inspiring," said another commenter. "I would love to do something similar around my neighborhood."
To start incorporating native plants into your own yard, check out this guide.
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