Plant Sale 2025 – Sunny but Challenging

Got a problem strip of soil between the street and your sidewalk? A narrow space along a driveway where nothing wants to grow?

These problematic plots of land often have heavily compacted soil, are hot, sunny, and dry, and can be exposed to salt and other pollutants from winter road care. It takes a special kind of plant to survive in this space… but they do exist!

Our Hennepin County Master Gardener Spring Plant Sale will have some unusual plants that may be good options for these tough garden spaces.

Sea Thrift ‘Splendens’
(America maritima)

This compact, low growing plant is extremely hardy in our region and is both drought and salt tolerant. It can be grown in areas that with rocky and dry soil and is a great choice beside a sidewalk.

Coneflower ‘Sombrero Lemon Yellow’
(Echinacea x ‘Balsomemyim’)

For a bright, cheery pop of yellow color along the sidewalk, consider this is improved coneflower. It is a bit shorter and stockier which makes it a good choice if the parking strip is an area with height restrictions (check the local ordinaces as part of your garden planning). This conflower is drought tolerant once estalished so is an excellent option for hot and sunny sites.

Globe Thistle
(Echinops ritro)

This plant has an unusual flower head and is a pollinator magnet. It grows best in poor, infertile soil and is drought tolerant once established. Bonus: it is both deer and rabbit resistant.

Goldenrod Little Lemon
(Solidago)

Goldenrods are a great way to bring late season color to your garden. They tolerate poor, dry soil and attract bees and butterflies. This variety is shorter than the native variety, making it another good choice in a confined space.