To plant or not to plant? If that is the question, we may have the answer

If you’re an experienced gardener, then you may already know that certain plants are better-suited to help pollinators or to control rain water. If you’re a considerate gardener, you know which plants are a nuisance to neighbours or can cause harm. If you are inexperienced or simply looking for new ideas, then you, too can read on.  NEW guidelines for gardens near a road or sidewalk The City of Ottawa allows property owners and tenants to plant and maintain a garden in the City-owned boulevard next to their residential property. This activity may be done without a permit. The boulevard is a portion of the public right of way. It has many functions, not limited to space for trees, above and underground utilities and infrastructure, and snow storage. It varies in size and context across the city. You can learn more about residential boulevard gardens and the rules on ottawa.ca/rightofway. What’s new in 2025?

• Residents can plant food in their boulevard garden
• Raised garden beds and containers are allowed in some areas
• In all areas of the boulevard abutting residential property, owners and tenants can replace turf grass with a suitable alternative groundcover

Other things to keep in mind:

• There is a list of plants that are not permitted in the boulevard.

• The maximum plant height (including raised garden bed or container height) is 1.0 metre and 0.75 metre for corner lots.
• Materials such as river rock, stones, concrete, brick and pavers are not allowed.
• There are areas of the boulevard where you cannot plant a garden or place a raised garden bed or containers, including under municipal trees and within a ditch.
• Consuming food grown in the boulevard is done at your own risk.
• The City and utilities are not responsible for protecting, repair, replacing or reinstating a boulevard garden damaged while doing work in the right of way.
• More guidelines will be available on boulevard gardens soon at ottawa.ca/rightofway

For information on installing a free library box in the boulevard next to your property visit ottawa.ca/rightofway. Help pollinators Don’t tidy up too soon. Many pollinators and other wildlife overwinter in dead plant stems or leaf litter. Delay your spring cleaning until temperatures have risen above 10oC consistently. Leave some areas of bare soil for ground-nesting bees. South-facing sites with well-drained sandy soils are preferred. Go beyond “no mow May” by converting parts of your lawn to a native wildflower garden or meadow instead, to provide habitat all year long. Traditional mowed lawns need lots of maintenance and don’t provide benefits to native pollinators or other wildlife. By reducing your lawn area, you can reduce your yard’s water consumption and your time spent mowing permanently, instead of for just one month. To encourage pollinators in your garden, plant native wildflowers, including early and late flowering species, to provide nectar sources and other food for pollinators. If you’re looking for an example, we have a pollinator garden at City Hall. It includes species such as common milkweed, New England aster, wild bergamot, prairie smoke and a variety of goldenrods. Many native trees and shrubs also have flowers that support pollinators – did you know that maple flowers are appreciated by many of our early spring pollinators? The City Hall garden also features a bee hotel, which reopened for the 2025 nesting season on April 22. Bee hotels are different from beehives – they are smaller and provide places for native solitary bees to lay their eggs. Many commercially produced bee houses are now being sold online and in stores, but not all of them are well-suited for our native species. For more information on bee hotels, check out our web page: Pollinators | City of Ottawa Soak up the rain Rain gardens are shallow depressed areas that promote the infiltration of rainwater into the ground. They are planted with attractive hardy plants – ideally native perennials – and have loose soils that help rainwater seep down into the ground. Plants are not just decorative in rain gardens, their roots loosen soils and maintain high infiltration rates. You should choose hardy wet-tolerant plants that can also experience periods of drought. Some varieties to consider:

• Purple coneflower
• Joe-Pye Weed
• Bowman’s Root
• Mosquito Grass
• Butterfly Milkweed
• Garlic Chives
• Pot o’ Gold
• Little Bluestem
• Woodland Phlox

For a full list of suitable species see this plant list or ask a local nursery. Invasive species and noxious weeds Gardeners are asked to avoid planting invasive species in their gardens, particularly near natural areas. Invasive species can include noxious weeds which are quick to reproduce and spread and can often out-compete other species. Wild Parsnip, Poison Ivy, and Giant Hogweed are commonly found in areas of uncultivated land, roadside ditches, nature trails, woodlots, and in some cases, on rural and residential property.  Under the Ontario Weed Control Act, the City is responsible to take some action regarding the control of these species on city property. Private property owners are responsible for removing these plants from their own property. Touching these plants or their sap can result in painful skin rashes and burns. If you decide to take measures to control these plants, regardless of the method used, wear protective clothing and goggles to cover exposed skin and protect your eyes.  For more information on how to dispose of invasive species, please go to Waste Explorer | City of Ottawa. For more information on City programs and services, visit ottawa.ca, call 3-1-1 (TTY: 613-580-2401) or 613-580-2400 to contact the City using Canada Video Relay Service. You can also connect with us through Facebook, X,, formerly known as Twitter, Bluesky and Instagram.