First impressions matter and the sidewalk garden outside your property says it all! Here’s how to take yours up a notch.
A well-kept sidewalk garden increases the value of your home. It is the first element that greets a visitor and an unkempt sidewalk speaks volumes, even if high walls or fences separate it from the well maintained garden inside.
Strictly speaking, the sidewalk is public space, which means that passers-by should be able to walk on the sidewalk. It’s easy to accommodate that and still make an attractive garden that gives walkers a sense of pleasure, while adding to the overall appeal of the street.
Sidewalk gardens however have their challenges. Out of sight out of mind is very much an issue for gardens on the other side of the wall . Here are some ways to remedy it :
- Keep it simple with plants that generally look after themselves.
- Opt for tough, drought hardy plants, especially perennials on sunny sidewalks.
- Install an automatic or manual sprinkler system that makes it easy to water, especially if you want to make your sidewalk garden a showpiece.
- Plant hard wearing lawns like Kikuyu Whittet, Bermuda (Kweek ) or Dicondra (Wonderlawn).
Resist the impulse to pave the entire area. The runoff is enormous and puts pressure on our rather fragile, ill maintained storm water drainage system. It is far more environmentally friendly to plant grasses or groundcover plants so that rainfall can be absorbed into the ground.
The green, green grass…
A well maintained, healthy lawn is always attractive. Kikuyu Whittet is the most popular, hard wearing lawn for sunny sidewalks. Ideally new lawn is sown in October but in January over-sowing a scraggly lawn with Kikuyu seed can give it a boost.
Advice from Kirchhoffs is to water the existing lawn to moisten the soil. Rake to remove dead or loose grass. Loosen bare areas of soil.
Kikuyu seed is pelleted so it is easy to see where it is sown. Cover with a light layer of soil and gently firm it down so that the seed makes contact with the soil.
Water the area with a sprinkler and keep the lawn moist while the seed germinates, between seven to 14 days. Delay mowing for about a month or until the new grass has grown through and is established.
No mow ‘lawns’ and groundcovers
Kirchhoffs ‘Wonderlawn’ (Dicondra repens) is not a grass but a low growing ground cover with dark green, small clover like leaves. It is reasonably hard wearing, spreads quickly and forms a dense carpet. It doesn’t need mowing and grows in semi-shade. It also works well in-between pavers.
Alyssum ‘Royal Carpet’ (purple), ‘Snow Carpet’ or ‘Pastel Shades’ can be planted as a flowering, low maintenance groundcover. Growing it from seed is the best option for larger areas with sun and semi-shade. It germinates quickly and once it is growing needs no more attention, except watering once a week in summer. It lightens areas, adding colour and fragrance.
Portulaca ‘Daydream’ is a water wise succulent with double flowers in a wide range of bright and pastel shades. It is the ideal flowering groundcover for hot sunny sidewalks. Portulaca likes well drained soil and shouldn’t be over watered.
Bullet-proof colour
Step up the sidewalk with a bed colourful flowers to cheer up passersby! It can be a mix of annuals and perennials that work well as a border for toughies like agapanthus, Dietes, and Phormiums.
Annuals to grow from seed for brilliant colour and that thrive in hot conditions include Salvia ‘Blaze of Fire’ , Marigold ‘Bonita Choice’, a mix of yellow, red and bicoloured blooms on compact plants, and Zinnia ‘Thumbelina’, a dwarf zinnia with double and semi-double flowers or the taller ‘Lucky Day’ that has large blooms in a mix of bright colours.
If your preference is for perennials, consider gazania ‘Caledon Giants’, an indigenous perennial with a mix of very large flowers that range from sulphur yellow to mahogany red. Plants are low growing and spreading, and thrive in any well drained garden soil.
Verbena ‘Bush Type’ is also a compact hardy and heat tolerant perennial with a mix of pink, purple, red and white flowers. Plants are water wise, grow best in sun and in soil that drains well.
Give shadier pavements the romantic treatment by sowing ‘Forget me Not’ Myosotis Blue. These enchanting perennials produce a mass of true blue flowers from late spring into summer and again in autumn. Plant in fertile soil and keep the area moist. Seed germinates quickly within seven to 14 days.
Lavatera (Mallow) ‘Silver Cup grows so easily it could be a weed, but the tall stems with bright pink flowers are just too pretty. A sowing of lavatera is a quick and easy way to brighten a sidewalk garden and plants self-seed easily. An undemanding and completely maintenance free pavement special. For more details, visit www.kirchhoffs.co.za
Article and images by Alice Coetzee.
