Gary's Hellstrip

A horticultural challenge for many homeowners is an area known as the hellstrip….the space between the sidewalk and the street. What’s a homeowner to do with this difficult area? Hmmm….. Devil Gary: Gary…..this hellstrip is my domain. Leave it be, it’s a lost cause! Angel Gary: Oh come on, Gary. I’ve got confidence in your gardening abilities. Let’s turn his hell strip into our Garden of Eden. Big Gary: You’re right….let’s do this! Turning your hellstrip into a garden is a challenge, but the effort is often worth it. The first thing I did was pick plants that are really great performers. My go-to annuals are always marigolds. I love these yellow and orange African marigolds. These plants are sure to grow in tough situations. Another tough annual is melampodium, because they’re heat tolerant, and produces a boatload of one half inch yellow flowers, even in the hot and humid conditions in Mississippi gardens. These easy to grow plants are short and rounded, making them a great choice for my hell strip. Zahara zinnias are always a fantastic pick. I chose the Lemonade Mix having yellow, white, and fire colored flowers. For a hot garden space celosia is the right choice. The All-America Selection Fresh Look Red looks great planted in small groups. I also planted Bright Ideas sweet potato. I love how the Black and Rusty Red fills into and around the marigolds, melampodium, celosia and zinnia. Big Gary: Wow! We did it. That looks really good. Angel Gary: It sure does. Our own tiny slice of heaven! Devil Gary: Grrrrrr Big Gary: I’m horticulturist Gary Bachman, and I’ll see you next time on Southern Gardening.