Rectangle dirt patch near sidewalk needs TLC

[icemanx3]

Hi all. I recently moved into a new home and out front, there is a rectangular patch of bare dirt adjacent to the street curb and the sidewalk. It's an eyesore to me, and very plain.

I've considered a tree of some sort, but that's sort of boring. I was even considering a roll out flower mat, but winter is looming here in Northern California.

Does anyone have ideas of what I could plant there?

Thanks so much!

ice

[rainbowgardener]

I plant california poppies in mine! I grew up in California and I miss the poppies, so I plant them in my sidewalk strip [aka parking strip]. Here I have to replant them every year. If you plant them in the spring, they will probably reseed themselves and keep coming back.

Northern California could be a lot of different zones/ climates, depending on your altitude and such. Bay Area is very different from Eureka or Sacramento, for that matter East Bay is a pretty different growing climate from West Bay. Tell us a little more about where you are and what your climate is. Are you looking for something you can plant now, that will be winter hardy? Are you expecting flowers through the winter?

[icemanx3]

Hello, thank you! Yes, I would like to put something in now, that could possibly last through winter. I just want to get something in there so it looks nicer Poppies sounds like a great idea too! I live in San Jose. The summers are long, winters have been fairly dry in recent years, but it can get quiet cold during the winter. No snow or anything like that.

ice

[applestar]

What about sweetpeas or pansies, flowering cabbage/kale kind of thing? Or are they too ordinary?

[icemanx3]

Nothing would be too ordinary I suppose...I want to make the bare patch look nicer essentially I was even considering one of those roll out flower mats but they don't get the best reviews.

ice