Boulevard garden design and care
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.

Plant and gardening resources
Check out these resources to learn more about plants and gardening practices in Minnesota:
What to plant
Grow food
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.
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.
Rain gardens
What to know

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