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Guidelines for Planting City Boulevards

The boulevard is a strip of City-owned land between the road edge and your property line.

These guidelines are intended for boulevards adjacent to your own property.

In the past, Engineering Services discouraged gardening on City boulevards for the following reasons:

Utilities - Utility corridors are often located below boulevards. These may include high voltage street lighting conduit as well as water, sewer, gas, telephone and cable services. The City requires quick access to these utilities for maintenance reasons. Furthermore, the City cannot accurately predict the location of these services due to the many factors encountered in the field during layout. Consequently, digging on the boulevard was discouraged.

Access - In addition to the access required for maintenance of underground services, access for pedestrians must be maintained. This includes access between the curb and sidewalk and access for vehicle passengers exiting cars.

However .in response to the many queries the City receives each year about boulevard gardening, a demonstration project was developed by the Planning Department in 2001. This successful demonstration project addressed the issues of utilities and access and proved that gardening on boulevards could be accomplished. Boulevard gardens are now allowed within the following guidelines:

Planning to Plant

• There must be reasonable pedestrian access between the curb and the sidewalk. If there is no City sidewalk, access must be provided so pedestrians are not forced to walk on the road.
• Plants should be perennials or shrubs that will grow less than one metre (3' 3") in height to ensure good sight lines.
• Several of the plants should be evergreen or have winter interest for those months when the rest of the plants are dormant.
• Contaminants from the roadway may affect consumables, therefore vegetable gardening is not encouraged.
• No trees are allowed other than City-planted street trees.
• No structures or ornaments are allowed since they can interfere with public safety and the City's ability to quickly access underground services.
• Permanent installations such as in-ground irrigation systems are not permitted.
• Plants should be set back at least 30 cm (12") from a) the sidewalk to avoid overgrowth and b) the curb to allow for car door opening.
• Fire hydrants must be easily visible and accessible from both the street and the sidewalk. A clearance of 1.5m (5’) must be maintained around hydrants for access, visibility and to ensure that plants do not interfere with the operation of the hydrant. Outside of the Fire Department, Waterworks and Sewers staff use the water from hydrants for a number of purposes.
• For plant suggestions for boulevard gardens, refer to the drought-tolerant plant list ( PDF 116kb) developed by Master Gardeners from VanDusen Botanical Gardens.
• More information on waterwise gardening can be found at http://cityfarmer.org/waterwiseGarden.html

Preparing the Planting Area

Garden beds should be mounded 20 cm above the level of the existing sod to ensure adequate soil for plants and to protect underground services.

• Remove the sod and shake it to ensure that only roots and grass are being removed.
• In the interest of sustainability and good environmental practices, all sod removed from the boulevard should be composted on private property. By turning it upside down in a pile, the sod should decompose into useable compost within six months. The City's Yard Trimmings Collection Program does not accept sod.
• It is recommended that soil or compost be mounded up to 20 cm (8") above the level of the previous sod. This ensures that there is adequate soil for plants to root and that underground services are not disturbed.
• To avoid weeds and toxins, it is recommended that only new, clean soil or compost be used. Check with nurseries and topsoil suppliers or call the City of Vancouver Landfill (604 940-3213) for information and prices regarding compost made from the City's Yard Trimmings Collection Program.
• Water new plants regularly until they are well established.

Please note that gardens may have to be disturbed if there is a need for the City to access underground services, place new sidewalks, install signs or prune street trees.

Working Around Street Trees

All trees growing on the boulevard belong to the City of Vancouver and are under the care of the Park Board. When gardening around street trees please be aware of the following:

• Take care not to cut any roots or branches
• Keep soil or compost from contacting the bark. The root collar and trunk are made up of cells that are not specialized to resist constant soil moisture. Placing mulch or soil against the root collar and trunk can interfere with the tree's life-sustaining processes and could ultimately affect its health.
• Do not place more than 10 cm (4") of soil or compost directly above tree roots. Excessive mulch retains surface water which promotes shallow rooting of trees. Deep rooted trees will survive drought stress more readily and are less susceptible to wind damage.
• Soil or compost used around tree roots should be of a sandy texture (at least 50% sand by volume) to encourage good drainage.
• Do not nail or tie signs, trellises or other fixtures to a street tree.

Plants should be set back at least 30 cm (12") from the sidewalk to avoid overgrowth

Any questions or concerns regarding street trees should be directed to the Park Board Street Tree Hotline at 604-257-8600.

The City of Vancouver is committed to reducing the unnecessary use of pesticides. Pesticide use on private property is a cause of concern from both a public health and an environmental perspective. For pest problems, consult with your local garden centre or the VanDusen Master Gardeners for information on the least toxic methods of pest control.

For further information about boulevard gardening call:
Engineering 604-873-7204, Planning 604-873-7679

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