Turning a Hellstrip Into a Pollinator’s Heaven.

Beyond our home’s property easement is a space owned by the city or county.  Property owners are required to maintain this area. The typical landscape choice is grass. It is easy to mow, and it is green, right? But it is also an opportunity to create a little bit of heaven.

This rectangular space along the front of your home is used for entering your yard, deliveries, and by the mailman to reach into your mailbox. But can it be useful for something else?

Depending on your landscaping style, and if you are not in an HOA-ruled community, what about turning that small strip into a pollinator garden?

Benefits of a Florida pollinator strip include colorful flowers seasonally and no need for mowing or pesticide use. A selection of native and non-native annuals and perennials will provide ample diverse resources for butterflies, birds, and other pollinators. The cons will be a need for rainfall or another water source and more oversight to catch weeds as they germinate (and they will come). Pollinator gardens are not “no maintenance.”  

Designing a pollinator garden always starts off with soil testing, assessing sunlight, and a clean palette. Do not be apathetic and halfhearted about ensuring that your garden is weedless before you start. No need for landscape fabric. It is worthless keeping weeds out and will be a source of frustration in the future.

Owner: Ellie Dorritie, Hellstrip in Buffalo, NY. July 2025.

Once you know what you are working with, then you can select your plant palette and whether you want to start with seeds or plants. It is up to you. Planting seeds is less expensive; just remember that planting seeds will require monitoring and mulch to reduce the weed factor. (they will come.)

If you can afford it, planting annuals and perennials provides an instant effect that will give you satisfaction. I like to go with a combination of two-thirds plants and one-third seeds. Mark your seed areas with signs so that you do not pull sprouts up thinking they are weeds.

Start off with clearing a small area and as you have success, each season you can continue to remove your grass and substitute flowers and shrubs. Planting a heavenly area in your Hellstrip will be divine for pollinators. They will come.