Boulevard garden design and care

Get tips and resources to help you garden safely and successfully in the boulevard.

Care for your garden

Things to consider as you design your boulevard garden include:

Plant selection

Garden conditions

Boulevards have their own unique factors to consider when growing plants.

Consider factors like:

  • How much sun your boulevard gets
  • The space you have
  • Soil quality

Watering

Consider your plan for watering before planting.

Vegetables need more water. 

Plant selection tips

  • Plants best suited to boulevard conditions are often:
    • Pollinator friendly
    • Native to the region
  • The University of Minnesota put together a list of plants for tough locations.
  • Perennials only need to be planted once. These plants can reduce planting labor in future years.
  • Plant a mix of perennials so they bloom at different time. This can keep your garden looking good year-round.
A streetlight in a boulevard garden.

 

Plant and gardening resources

Check out these resources to learn more about plants and gardening practices in Minnesota:

What to plant

Know what you can plant in the boulevard. You can also see the City's plant height and placement guidelines.

Grow food

Be aware of the challenges to growing food in boulevards.

Vegetables

  • Consider planting perennials alongside your annual vegetable plants.
  • This can improve appearance of your garden and protect it from erosion.
  • Flowering perennials can also attract pollinators.

Food quality

Remember, boulevards are public space.

  • Food you grow will likely be exposed to pets and neighbors.
  • Thoroughly wash all food grown before eating.
  • If the food you grow is damaged or not in good condition, consider composting it.

Growing food safely

You should test your soil to see if it is contaminated.

If there is lead in your soil, growing leafy and root vegetables can increase your risk of lead poisoning. 

Learn more about soil testing

Contamination prevention

Food is most safe from common contaminants if grown in a raised bed with clean soil.

If you are growing food directly in the boulevard soil, you may want to stick to flowering plants like:

  • Squash
  • Cucumbers
  • Peppers
  • Tomatoes

Maintain your garden

Mulch

Mulch is any material spread over the soil’s surface.

Using mulch for pathways can prevent erosion and weeds. You can also place mulch around and between plants to:

  • Retain moisture
  • Regulate soil temperature
  • Suppress weeds

Place your shredded mulch so that it does not fall into, float into or accumulate in the adjacent gutter or catch basin.

See what mulch is and is not allowed in the boulevard

Rain gardens

What to know

A rain garden in a boulevard in Minneapolis.

 

One special kind of garden you can plant in your boulevard is a rain garden. Rain gardens collect and treat stormwater.

They are one of many types of green stormwater infrastructure. You can learn how to install a rain garden from Blue Thumb.

Permit

Rain gardens in boulevard gardens require an encroachment permit. This is because they are more complicated projects.

Learn how to apply for an encroachment permit from Public Works

Contact us

Homegrown Minneapolis

Minneapolis Health Department

Phone

612-673-3553