Boulevard Gardening

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Photo Credit: City of Saskatoon

The Residential Boulevard Gardening Kickstart Program is an opportunity for Edmontonians to add character to their neighbourhoods by beautifying the City’s strip of land between the sidewalk and the road. This program provides Edmontonians with additional City space to create colourful, diverse streetscapes to strengthen community pride, ecological diversity, and build climate resiliency.

To ensure safe and accessible spaces for everyone, the City has developed program requirements that outline the steps for gardening on the City’s boulevard. In other words, you will require a permit—either a Declaration or a Licence of Occupation (LOO).

Before You Get Started

Before you start gardening, you must apply for a permit with the City either through a Declaration or Licence of Occupation, depending on your boulevard garden plan and its impact on the City trees and the road right of way.

Determine which permit applies to your gardening project:

Declaration
A permit for quick and easy gardening projects.	No application fee.	Immediate approval. The City encourages the gardener to obtain $2 million dollar general liability insurance.
License of Occupation
A permit for more ambitious gardening projects.	$75 annual fee is temporarily waived for boulevard gardens submitted in 2022 and 2023*. No application fee.	The City is required to review each application. Turnaround time is dependent on volume and availability. Please refer to the LOO for the specific insurance requirements associated with the application.

*The License of Occupation (LOO) is a pre-existing permit with an attached $75 annual fee. The City will be exploring the possibility of permanently lowering or waiving the LOO fee for boulevard gardens based on demand and accessibility.

Declaration

This is a quick and easy option for Edmontonians to start gardening on City boulevards. Before applying for a declaration, please familiarize yourself with the boulevard gardening requirements.

Declaration Application

Gardener's Information

First Name

Last Name

Location

The property address associated with the Boulevard Garden.

Phone

Acknowledgment

I/we have read, understood, and agree to abide by the City of Edmonton’s Boulevard Gardening & Maintenance Guidelines.

Personal information is collected for the purpose of administering the Boulevard Gardening Program, bylaw enforcement, and notifying you of upcoming City and public utility maintenance. Collection is authorized under section 33(c) of the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy (FOIP) Act and is managed and protected in accordance with the Act. If you have questions please contact the Boulevard Gardening Program Manager, 12304 -107 Street, Edmonton AB T5G 2S7, 780-496-4678, or by email at blvdgardening@edmonton.ca.

Declaration Requirements

These requirements apply to a residential boulevard garden and accompany the Declaration. The Licence of Occupation has separate requirements and a separate permit application.

Eligibility

To be eligible to participate in the Residential Boulevard Gardening Program, the gardener must meet the following requirements:

Be an Occupant or an Owner with a residential boulevard adjacent to the private property. This is the same space that you would normally be responsible to maintain/mow next to your residence.
The gardener must be over 18 years of age. Gardeners under the age of 18 must be supervised by an adult.
- Gardening is not permitted on other public spaces, such as centre medians or on roadsides that the City of Edmonton mows.

Key Aspects of the Declaration

Only conduct low-impact digging using non-invasive tools, such as hand trowels, rakes, but no motorised equipment, to a maximum depth of 5.1cm (2 inches).*
Only add up to 5.1cm (2 inches) of garden soil mix or organic mulch on top of existing grade. Organic wood mulch is permitted.
Only add flower plugs, ground-covering plants and/or seeds directly sown into the existing ground.
Your garden must comply with the minimum distance, depending on the tree diameter; anywhere between 1.2m to 5.0m, as specified in the Tree Protection Zone
Do not participate in “lasagna gardening” where damp newspaper is the medium between the ground and soil.

Trees

If your boulevard has trees, you must follow the minimum protection distance as specified in the Tree Protection Zone. The gardener is responsible for completing their due diligence, which is not limited to conducting a preliminary site inspection, creating a site plan, notifying neighbours, and determining the minimum protection distance from trees.

Digging

“Low-impact digging” is permitted and refers to digging to depths not exceeding 5.1cm (2 inches). Additionally, the gardener is permitted to add 5.1cm (2 inches) of clean, garden mix soil or organic mulch to the existing grade. The combination of digging and addition of clean, garden mix soil or organic mulch must be less than or equal to 10.2cm (4 inches).

Digging deeper than 5.1cm (2 inches) is considered “disruptive digging” and requires the gardener to apply for a Licence of Occupation. Note that the Licence of Occupation has a separate application process. Further, there may be additional requirements for disruptive digging such as contacting Utility Safety Partners before gardening can be started.

Boulevard Gardening Depth
Maximum 5.1cm (2 inches) of digging

Digging can only be conducted with a hand trowel (no shovels, grating, rototilling, etc) to ensure minimal impact to our trees and underground utilities.
No motorized equipment is permitted.
Take extra care working on the boulevard, as public trees and utilities share the space.

Obstructions and Location

No garden shall obstruct or partially obstruct sidewalks, pathways, or roadways. Gardening amenities, accessories, and features shall not pose danger or create additional hazards to pedestrians, cyclists, parked vehicles, or City and utility workers.
- The edge of the garden and gardening activities must be at least 0.65 m (2ft 2inches) from the edge of any adjacent travel lane, bike lane, and shared pathway or sidewalk.
Gardening shall be located at a minimum distance of 1.5m (5ft) from all fixed objects including fire hydrants, utility boxes, light poles, bus stops, mailboxes, etc.
Gardens must be at least:
- 5.0 m (16ft 5inches) from the corner of an uncontrolled intersection.
- 10.0 m (32ft 9 inches) from the corner of a controlled intersection (stop/yield sign or signals) or an intersection with a marked pedestrian crosswalk.
Ensure the garden and all gardening activities comply with the Community Standards Bylaw and the Traffic Bylaw at all times.

*This clause excludes gardens that solely include alternative ground cover and low-growing plants.

Planters

Planter container must be plastic. Ceramic planters are not permitted.
Round planters have a maximum outer diameter of 27.9cm (11 inches) or less.
The coverage area for your planters is 20% of your boulevard’s area, you must round down.
For example, a boulevard with a 16m2 is allowed 3 planters (0.2 * 16 = 3.2 planters).

	Maximum diameter for round planters.
	Maximum dimensions for square planters.
	Maximum 1m height for planter and plants. Picture provides a height comparison.

Prohibited Items and Methods

The following are prohibited on the boulevard:

Application of pesticides or fertilizers
Planting of trees or shrubs
Permanent structures
In-ground irrigation systems
Raised bed structures (bottomless with retaining walls)
Ornamental items including but not limited to garden gnomes, umbrellas, bird baths, etc.
Park benches
Signs and vertical stakes
Gravel or decorative rock
Stepping stones and hardware
Lasagna gardening or sheet composting, layered gardening where damp newspaper is the medium between the ground and soil

What is Allowed

The following are permitted:

Flower plugs
Ground covering plants
Seeds sown directly into the existing ground
Planters as long as they meet the specifications listed
Organic wood mulch

Indemnification and Release

The City will not be responsible in any way for any injury to any person or any loss or damage to any property, including any planters, seeding or plants, however caused, belonging to the Gardener or to tenants, or licensees of the Gardener while such person or property which is caused by any activity, conditions, or events arising out of the Boulevard Garden. In no event shall the City be liable to the Gardener for any indirect or consequential damage however caused, including, without limiting the generality of the foregoing, whether or not they would otherwise be considered indirect or consequential loss.
The Gardener shall:
- be liable to the City for, and indemnify and save harmless the City, its servants, agents and employees from and against any and all losses, liabilities, claims, suits, actions, demands, expenses, damages and costs (and without limiting the generality of the foregoing, including solicitor and client costs) which may be brought or made against the City or which the City may pay or incur and which arise out of or in connection with:
  - any of the rights or privileges granted to the Gardener pursuant to this Application;
  - any breach, violation or non-performance of any covenant, condition or guideline related to this Application to be fulfilled, kept, observed or performed by the Gardener;
  - any damage to any property or injury to a person or persons, including death resulting at any time therefrom, occasioned by the use of the road right of way by the Applicant, its servants, agents, employees or licensees;
  - any damage to any property or injury to a person or persons, including death resulting at any time therefrom, arising from the escape, discharge or release of any gaseous, liquid, or solid hazardous substances including, but not limited to, petroleum products and byproducts, industrial wastes, contaminants, pollutants, dangerous substances, and toxic substances, as defined in or pursuant to any law, ordinance, rule, regulation, bylaw or code, whether federal, provincial or municipal, occasioned by the use of the road right of way, by the Applicant, its servants, agents, employees or licensees; excepting such losses, liabilities, claims, suits, actions, demands, expenses, damages and costs arising from the sole negligence of the City, its servants, agents or employees.

Insurance

The City encourages the applicant to obtain $2M General Liability insurance to respond to any bodily injury and/or property damages to the third party. Depending on the circumstances of the use of the shared road right of way (public space) for the purposes of installing and maintaining a residential boulevard gardening (the “Boulevard Garden”) including the risk exposures and mitigations put in place by the applicant, the City may require evidence of insurance. The City recommends contacting your home insurance provider or other insured organization for a similar stand-alone policy to discuss liability coverage as required.

Licence of Occupation

Considerations

A Licence of Occupation (LOO) is for more ambitious gardening projects. If you’re having trouble determining whether you require an LOO, please ask yourself the following questions:

Do you plan to create a garden closer than the allowable Minimum Tree Protection Zone?
Are you digging deeper than 5.1cm (2 inches)?*
Are you adding more than 5.1cm (2 inches) of clean, garden mix soil or organic mulch?*
Is your planned garden within 5.0m (16.4ft) of an uncontrolled intersection or 10m (32.8ft) from a controlled intersection?
Is your planned garden within 1.5m (4.9ft) of a fire hydrant, utility box, light pole or a bus stop?

If you answered yes to any of the above questions, then you must apply for a Licence of Occupation using our Residential Application form .

The City is currently working on updating the Licence of Occupation application form and LOO guidelines for boulevard gardening. In the interim, any LOO applications will be assessed on a case-by-case basis in accordance with this program guide.

*If 5.1cm of soil is added to the existing round surface, then total planting depth allowable is 10.2cm (5.1cm of new soil and 5.1cm into the existing ground).

Licence of Occupation

This licence allows the road right-of-way for commercial or residential purposes, such as parking and storage areas, landscaping and gardening, walls and fences, freestanding business identification signs and artwork.

Guidelines and Fees

Commercial Application Form

Residential Application Form

Program Rules

The Residential Boulevard Gardening Kickstart Program is intended for simple, low-impact boulevard gardening so that your garden can be started quickly and safely. This resource only applies to developed residential boulevards that are maintained by residents or a residential complex. Any gardening or planters on non-residential boulevards are subject to other rules. This program does not apply to residential boulevards that are mowed by the City, currently under construction, or under contract or warranty by a developer or a contractor.

Please note: All boulevards are subject to compliance checks. If the garden is found operating outside the approved plan, the applicant may be subject to enforcement.

The following Residential Boulevard Gardening rules have been developed to help Edmontonians confidently and responsibly garden on the boulevards within the city. All gardeners must understand and adhere to the following rules in addition to the requirements outlined in either the declaration or LOO agreement, whichever one applies to you. Note that these rules apply to all gardeners of the Residential Boulevard Gardening program:

Residential Boulevard Gardening Rules

Gardens are permitted on residential boulevards. These are the City-owned grassy spaces between the back sidewalk and the road curb, or where no sidewalk exists, the grassy space between the private property and the road curb.
It is important that the City can contact the gardener if there is planned maintenance work and/or program updates, and gardeners must register their boulevard garden with the City either through a Declaration Form or a Licence of Occupation. Gardeners are responsible for ensuring they provide the City with accurate and current information regarding gardening activities.
Gardening on boulevards adjacent to a multi-unit development will be managed by the condo board or homeowner association. The City of Edmonton will not act as a mediator and encourages all community gardeners to share the public space.
Some of the City’s boulevards contain City trees. It is the responsibility of the gardener to:
- Determine the minimum setback from the tree using the City’s Tree Protection Zone. Calculate your tree's diameter.
- Obtain all the required permits before gardening on boulevards with trees. These required permits are not limited to a Licence of Occupation. Depending on the gardener’s proposed plan, additional permits, such as a Public Tree Permit, may be required.
- Read and understand the Public Tree Bylaw .
- Starting from the minimum setback from the tree, complete a visual site inspection to avoid working on or placing planters on top of tree roots. Do not add more than 5.1cm (2 inches) of clean, garden soil mix or organic mulch to avoid compressing tree roots.
Planters are permitted on the boulevard; however, the gardener must check if they require a declaration or LOO depending on their planter details (setback, coverage area, size, height). After the plans have been outlined, the gardener then must apply for a declaration or a LOO. Refer to the Declaration Requirements to assess how to place your planter. If your planter requirements fall out of the declaration requirements, you will need to apply for a LOO.
- All planters must have a base and cannot be built into the ground. They must be easily relocated by a City or utility worker without the use of a mechanical tool, such as a lift.
- Please take extra care and attention when gardening on boulevards with trees. Heavy planters can easily compress tree roots and cause irreversible damage and even death.
- Negligent gardening is subject to bylaw infractions as per the City’s Tree Protection Bylaw and the Community Standards Bylaw.
Boulevards are active sites where City employees will be maintaining trees and utility companies are working on equipment. Gardening activities and assets cannot interfere with the operations and maintenance activities conducted by these parties. In the event of an emergency or planned maintenance, the City of Edmonton and utilities may disrupt or damage the gardener’s work without notice.
Keep your gardens natural. Pesticides and fertilizers are not permitted on boulevard gardens.
All planters must be removed no later than October 15, 2022.
Your garden must return to turf if you choose to stop gardening or move away.

Gardening Best Practices

Growing Produce

Boulevard gardens can attract passers-by to stop and pick and are often subject to road contaminants, like salt. The gardener should be aware of the risks with growing food on a boulevard.

The consumption of any edible plants is done so at the gardener's own risk. The City of Edmonton is not responsible for any health, safety, or other risks that may be associated with consuming edible plants grown on a boulevard.
If you are unsure about the quality of your soil, have a soil test done.
- Alternatives include keeping your garden to ornamental plants and/or keep your food-producing plants in a planter.

Safety & Hazards

Boulevards are a space where many underground shallow utilities are located. Working on the boulevard requires extra care and attention to not damage utilities and to not put the gardener at risk. Gardeners are strongly encouraged to submit a utility locate request to Utility Safety Partners to determine what utilities may be located in close proximity to their proposed garden. To avoid interference with the shallow, underground utilities, do not dig more than 5.1cm (2 inches). 10.2 cm (4 inches) planting depth is permitted if the maximum 2 inches of soil permitted has been added to the existing ground surface.
Boulevards are in close proximity to travel routes such as roads and sidewalks. It is important to make yourself and others working on the boulevard visible and to only garden during sunlight hours. Your safety and the public’s safety is our first priority.
Watering your boulevard may be challenging. Determine how you will water your garden before you begin. Do not leave hoses, watering cans, buckets and other tools on the sidewalk, boulevard, or road, as they are hazards for pedestrians and traffic.

Gardening Tips

Manage pests in your garden using mechanical tools instead of applying pesticides.
Maintain your garden regularly so that it is less prone to attracting pests
After removing sod, shake it well to ensure minimal soil loss. Compost the sod that you remove from the boulevard.
The City of Edmonton has created a suggested list of plants for boulevard gardening.

Plant Recommendations

Above-Ground/Overseeding

Non-Native

Non-native forbs, ornamental grass, ground cover and others. Recommended for the ease of obtaining clean bulk seeds.

Common Plant Name	Latin Plant Name	Plant Type	Light	Height
Dutch white clover	Trifolium repens	Non-native forb		10-15cm
Microclover	Trifolium repens "Pipolina"	Non-native forb		8-15cm
Yarrow	Achillea millefolium	Native Wildflower		60-90cm
Sedum kamschaticum	Sedum kamschaticum	Non-native forb		15cm
Chives	Allium schoenoprasm	Native/Introduced wildflower		30-60cm
Forget-me-not	Myosotis sylvatica	Native Wildflower		13-30cm
Blue fescue	Festuca glauca	Ornamental grass (non-native)		20-30cm
Sheep fescue	Festuca ovina	Ornamental grass (non-native)		30cm
Crimson clover	Trifolium incarnatum	Non-native forb		20-61cm
Phacelia tanacetifolia	Phacelia tanacetifolia	Non-native forb	Sun	30-91cm
Creeping thyme	Thymus serpyllum	Non-native forb		5-7cm
Pussytoes	Antennaria neglecta	Native Wildflower	Sun	10-40cm

Native Wildflowers

Common Plant Name	Latin Plant Name	Plant Type	Light	Height
Alpine Sweet Vetch	Hedysarum americanum	Native Wildflower	Sun, shade	20-70cm
Arctic Aster	Eurybia sibirica	Native Wildflower	Sun	15-40cm
Blue Columbine	Aquilegia coerulea James	Native Wildflower	Shade	30-60cm
Wild blue flax, Prairie flax	Linum lewisii	Native Wildflower	Part shade	30-76cm
Blue-eyed grass	Sisyrinchium montanum	Native Wildflower	Sun, Part Shade, Shade	15-38cm
Bunchberry	Cornus canadensis	Native Wildflower	Sun, Part Shade, Shade	8-15cm
Canada Anemone	Anemonastrum canadense L. Mosyakin	Native Wildflower	Shade, part shade	30-60cm
Canada Violet	Viola canadensis	Native Wildflower	Shade	20-40cm
Crowfoot Violet	Viola pedatifida	Native Wildflower	Sun	10-20cm
Cut-leaf Anemone	Anemone multifida	Native Wildflower	Sun, Part Shade, Shade	15-51cm
Early Blue Violet	Viola sororia	Native Wildflower	Sun, Part Shade	15-25
False Solomon's seal	Maianthemum racemosum	Native Wildflower	Part Shade, Shade	30-91cm
Golden Bean	Thermopsis rhombifolia	Native Wildflower	Sun	15-50cm
Golden Corydalis	Corydalis aurea	Native Wildflower		10-50cm
Hairy False Golden Aster	Heterotheca villosa	Native Wildflower	Sun	15-51cm
Harebell	Campanula rotundifolia	Native Wildflower	Sun, Part Shade, Shade	10-38cm
Heart-leaved Alexanders	Zizia aptera	Native Wildflower	Sun, Part Shade, Shade	30-91cm
Kidney-shaped Violet	Viola renifolia	Native Wildflower	Part shade	5-30cm
Large Northern Aster	Canadanthus modestus	Native Wildflower		30-91
Lilac-flowered Beard Tongue	Penstemon gracilis Nutt.	Native Wildflower	Shade	20-61cm
Long-fruited Anemone	Anemone cylindrica	Native Wildflower	Shade, part shade	30-91cm
Low Goldenrod	Solidago missouriensis	Native Wildflower	Sun	30-61cm
Nodding Onion	Allium cernuum	Native Wildflower	Sun	30-61cm
Philadelphia Fleabane	Erigeron philadelphicus	Native Wildflower	Part shade	30-91cm
Pink Wintergreen	Pyrola asarifolia	Native Wildflower	Part shade	20-41cm
Purple Pea Vine	Lathyrus venosus	Native Wildflower	Part shade	30-91cm
Purple Prairie Clover	Dalea purpurea	Native Wildflower	Sun	60cm
Purple Stemmed Aster	Symphyotrichum puniceum	Native Wildflower	Sun	61-91cm
Showy Aster	Eurybia spectabilis	Native Wildflower		30-61cm
Showy Milkweed	Asclepias speciosa	Native Wildflower	Sun (not shade tolerant)	46-91cm
Slender Blue-beard Tongue	Penstemon procerus	Native Wildflower		5-31cm
Smooth Fleabane	Erigeron glabellus	Native Wildflower	Sun, Part Shade, Shade	30-50cm

Native Shrubs

Common Plant Name	Latin Plant Name	Plant Type	Light	Height
Kinnikinick	Arctostaphylos uva-ursi	Native Shrub	Sun, Part Shade, Shade	15-30
Low Bilberry	Vaccinium myrtillus	Native Shrub	Sun, Part Shade	10-18cm

In-Ground

Bulbs, Shrubs and Other Plants

Bulbs

Common Plant Name	Latin Plant Name	Plant Type	Height
Ornamental Alliums	Allium	Non-native ornamental	30-121 cm (different varieties)
Narcissus/Daffodil	Narcissus	Non-native ornamental	5-80 cm
Crocus	Crocus	Non-native ornamental	5-13 cm
Hardy Hyacinths	Hyacinthus	Non-native ornamental	20-25 cm
Snowdrops	Galanthus	Non-native ornamental	7-18 cm
Scilla/squill	Scilla	Non-native ornamental	5-60 cm
Tulips	Tulipa	Non-native ornamental	15-60 cm

Shrubs

Common Plant Name	Latin Plant Name	Plant Type	Height
Weigela	Weigela	Non-native shrub	30-304 cm (different varieties)
Dwarf Physocarpus / Ninebark	Physocarpus opulifolius 'Nanus'	Native shrub	30-60 cm
Western Spirea	Spirea douglasii	Native shrub	10-15 cm
Spirea bumalda		Garden hybrid (cross between Spiraea albiflora and Spiraea japonica)	60-90 cm

Other

Common Plant Name	Latin Plant Name	Plant Type	Height
Mouse ear lilac	Diplacus douglasii / Mimulus douglasii	Non-native forb	4 cm
Dwarf peony	Paeonia	Non-native shrub	30-45 cm
Anemone	Anemone	Native/Non-native flowers	30-90 cm (diff species)
Purple milkweed	Asclepias purpurascens	Non-native forb	60-90 cm
Showy milkweed	Asclepias speciosa	Native wildflower	30-90 cm
Bearded iris cultivars	Iris germanica	Non-native forb	dwarf = 20 cm, standard dwarf = 20-38 cm, miniature tall = 40-63 cm
Western blue flag iris	Iris missouriensis	Native wildflower	30-60 cm
Veronica spicata - ‘Giles van Hees’ variety	Veronica spicata (‘Giles van Hees’)	Non-native forb	15cm
American alpine speedwell	Veronica wormskjoldii	Native wildflower	5-30 cm
Heuchera sanguinea	Heuchera sanguinea	Non-native forb	Several varieties - varying heights
Lady's mantle	Alchemilla mollis	Non-native forb	45 cm
perennial flax	Linum perenne	Non-native forb	30-60 cm

Containers

Common Plants and Vegetables

Common Plant Name	Latin Plant Name	Plant Type	Height
Pansy Cool Wave Series	Viola	Ornamental flower	15 - 20
Impatiens Beacon series	Impatiens	Ornamental flower	20 - 25
Marigolds (Bonanza series)	Tagetes	Ornamental flower	30
Low Bilberry	Vaccinium myrtillus	Native Shrub	10 - 18
Creeping Junipers	Juniperus horizontalis	Native Shrub	15 - 45
Crocus	Crocus	Non-native ornamental	5-13 cm
Hardy Hyacinths	Hyacinthus	Non-native ornamental	20-25 cm
Snowdrops	Galanthus	Non-native ornamental	7-18 cm
Salvia/Ornamental sages	Salvia	Native/Non-native ornamental	Various

Common Vegetables

Common Plant Name	Latin Plant Name	Plant Type	Height
Carrots	Daucus carota	Vegetable	30
Radishes	Raphanus sativus	Vegetable	15 - 20
Lettuces	Lactuca	Vegetable	up to 50
Beets	Beta vulgaris	Vegetable	30 - 46
Thyme	Thymus vulgaris	Vegetable	15 - 30

For More Information