Our brave and barky dog announced a visitor at the front door last week. It turned out to be Mark, a neighbor from about four blocks down 137th. I had noticed a lot of changes around his yard and parking strip in my walks to and from the bus. Mark wanted gardening advice. He had been trying to grow things in his newly de-lawned parking strip, but nothing much seemed to be taking root. His goal with the parking strip is to reduce maintenance and add beauty–a perfect place for Seattle native plants! I told Mark I would gather up some plants and seeds for him and get back to him soon.
It is not the best time to share plants. Most of my seedlings are all too small to share. But I had enough larger seedlings and plants left over from last year to give him a tray of columbines, lupines, Oregon sunshine, Douglas aster, and houndstongue–21 plants in all.
I dropped these off at Mark’s house and texted him planting instructions. Within a day, they were planted in his sad, bare parking strip, making it just a little less sad. Mark’s parking strip holds so much potential!
Mark mentioned that friends and neighbors had recommended certain seeds to plant, but glancing around, I only saw some sunflowers and poppies, and very few of those. So I jumped online and ordered some big seed packets from Eden Brothers. I dropped those off with him today, including quick-to-flower types, and more pure native blends that will take a year or two to establish.
What a great opportunity to add another parking strip to our neighborhood’s native habitat. There is another de-lawned parking strip a block away from Mark’s place. Who knows, maybe I can convince them to go native, too!
Stuart, who is just two houses away from us, has the purest native garden and parking strip, and it is blooming beautifully right now. Really beautiful! Neighbors are getting the message, or at least are open to trying native plants — the result is the same for native fauna.
Here are a few blooms this week in my own modest native garden.
