At Home

Regionalisms:

When I mention "tree lawns" to people on Long Island, I get a blank look. When I explain to my fellow suburbanites what they call the strip of grass between the sidewalk (where they exist out here) and the curb, they say, "the strip of grass between the sidewalk and the curb."

Wikipedia has a rundown. Apparently, in Los Angeles they're called parkways, though here on LI, that's a road, usually one that leads to parks and tends to be better decorated than the expressway/highway/freeway.


The Dry Garden: Replacing that lawn along the sidewalk

Lawn-busters, take note: Emily Green weighs in on the best alternative to turf for that troublesome patch of dirt between the sidewalk and the street. Here's a hint: In her view, water-sipping perennials aren't necessarily the best choice. To find out why, read the latest installment in her drought-tolerant gardening column posted after the jump.

-- Craig Nakano

By Emily Green

There may be a drought and tough watering restrictions, but there has never been a better time to tackle the knottiest problem in Los Angeles landscaping: How to plant parkways?

Parkways are now and always have been a headache. No matter who owns that strip of land between curb and sidewalk, for safety reasons, two city of Los Angeles agencies call the shots over what may and may not be done with it. The Urban Forestry Division oversees the plants, and the Bureau of Engineering handles "hardscaping," or the paved parts. But the homeowner is responsible for tending them.

Traditionally, most parkways have been planted with grass to match frontyard lawns. But under the new drought ordinances, when lawn sprinklers on parkways create run-off, homeowners face warnings, then fines.