The Residential Boulevard Gardening 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.
The Boulevard Gardening Program offers Edmontonians a fantastic opportunity to add character to their neighbourhoods by beautifying the City-owned land between the sidewalk and the road adjacent to their private property. This program empowers residents to create colourful and diverse streetscapes, fostering community pride and belonging, ecological diversity, and climate resilience right next to their homes.
The online Declaration Form is how Edmontonians can get started with boulevard gardening. Gardeners are granted immediate approval to start their garden. This is free for all residents.
Perfect for adding splashes of colour with flower plugs or ground cover, or placement of small planters. You can also enhance your garden with organic wood mulch. This permit offers a fast track to a vibrant boulevard.
What is a Boulevard? For the Boulevard Gardening program, a boulevard is identified as the City-owned grassy area located directly in front of an adjacent property (e.g., residential home, multi-unit building, business), between the road (or curb) and the sidewalk. This area is maintained by the property owner, resident, or business.
The Delegation permit does not apply to areas that do not have a sidewalk, or areas located on the sides or rear of a property.
The Residential Boulevard Gardening rules have been developed to help Edmontonians safely and responsibly maintain gardens on the boulevards within residential streets. All gardeners must understand and adhere to the following guidelines in addition to the requirements outlined in the annual Declaration Permit.
Before you begin your boulevard gardening project, you should understand the many activities that happen on boulevards and the program guidelines.
- Keep it safe. Boulevards are public green spaces and serve as active pedestrian pathways to be enjoyed by everyone. A clear, safe access for both pedestrians on the sidewalk and vehicles on the roadway must be maintained.
- Underground utilities are common in boulevards. Gardening activities cannot interfere with the operation or maintenance activities; it's essential to follow setback requirements to avoid damage and ensure safety.
- To be eligible, the area must be located at the front of the property (frontage), be City-owned land located between the roadway and the sidewalk and be maintained by the resident or a residential complex.
- Boulevards do not qualify if the boulevard is mowed by the City, currently under construction, under contract or warranty by a developer or a contractor, or if located on the side (flankage) or is located at the rear or back alley of the private property
- Boulevards near multi-unit buildings and condos are great candidates for boulevard gardening as long as the garden is coordinated with the condo board, building owner and other tenants
- Keep your gardens natural. Pesticides and fertilizers are not permitted on boulevard gardens.
- Protect our trees. The City of Edmonton has a Public Tree Protection Bylaw 18825 in place. It's crucial to protect existing trees and their root system.
- Annual registration is required for your boulevard garden through the online Declaration permit. The City requires accurate contact information for location review and to ensure we can provide important updates.
- Note that the City or public utility companies access the boulevard for emergency work without notice, potentially impacting your garden.
- Gardeners are responsible for updating the Boulevard Gardening Program Coordinator if substantial modifications are made to their garden post-registration.
- Applicants are encouraged to obtain two million dollar general liability insurance as protection against potential liabilities. Insurance is not mandatory.
- Removal of all planters and approved infrastructure must be completed no later than October 15.
Please read and understand all requirements and regulations set out in the Declaration permit and the Boulevard Gardening Requirements to confirm your plans align with the Declaration Permit rules.
The Declaration Permit allows for low-impact gardening activities only.
Declaration Requirements
These requirements apply to a residential boulevard garden and accompany the Declaration.
To be eligible to participate in the Residential Boulevard Gardening Program, the gardener must meet the following requirements:
- Be an occupant or owner with a residential boulevard adjacent to the front of the private property line between the road’s edge and the sidewalk.
- Gardening is not permitted on other public spaces, such as center medians, side boulevards (flankage), rear of property or back alleys or on roadsides. This includes areas where the boulevard is mowed by the City, currently under construction, under contract or warranty by a developer or a contractor.
- The registered gardener must be over 18 years of age.
- The gardener is responsible for completing their due diligence, which is not limited to conducting a preliminary site inspection for impacts to trees and utilities, creating a site plan, and notifying neighbours and property owners of the project.
- Ensure the garden and all gardening activities comply with the Community Standards Bylaw and the Traffic Bylaw at all times.
If your boulevard has trees, you must follow the minimum protection distance of 1.5 meters at all times as specified in the Tree Protection Zone.
Some of the City’s boulevards contain City trees. It is the responsibility of the gardener to:
- Ensure the minimum setback from the tree is 1.5 meters for all activities
- Read and understand the Public Tree Bylaw 18825
- 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.
It is not permitted under the Delegation Permit to plant woody shrubs or trees on the boulevard. See options under the Licence of Occupation.
Ensure the garden and all gardening activities comply with the Community Standards Bylaw and the Traffic Bylaw at all times.
- Keep Public Areas Clear and Safe: Ensure sidewalks, pathways, vehicle access, and roadways remain completely free of all gardening items and wood mulch. Prevent plant overgrowth that could obstruct or create hazards for pedestrians, pets, cyclists, parked vehicles and City or utility workers. Choose smaller plant species and prune plants accordingly. Consider space for parked vehicle doors when planting next to curbs and maintain plants by pruning to ensure public safety.
- Setbacks and garden boundary must be at least:
- 1.5 meters (5-foot)* minimum distance from all fixed objects, such as fire hydrants, utility boxes, light poles, bus stops, mailboxes, and similar, is required for access and safety.
- 5.0 m (16 feet 5 inches)* from the corner of an uncontrolled intersection.
- 10.0 m (32 feet 9 inches)* from the corner of a controlled intersection, such as stop/yield signs or signals, or an intersection with a marked pedestrian crosswalk.
- Height Guidelines:
- Total plant height, including planters, must remain less than 1.0 m (3.3ft) tall. Control the height of plant material through pruning and plant selection.
- Ground cover plantings should have a maximum height of 30 cm (12 inches).
*This clause excludes gardens that solely include alternative ground covers and low-growing plants, mature plant height should be less than or equal to 30cm (12 inches.
“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 above 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).
Maximum 5.1cm (2 inches) of digging
- No motorized equipment is permitted.
- Digging must be done carefully to protect tree roots and underground utilities. Therefore, only hand tools are permitted to a depth of two inches. The use of excavators, rototillers, or compaction (tamping) is not allowed.
- Do not adjust the original ground level (grade) or alter the natural water runoff.
- Acceptable plants include herbaceous non-invasive annual or perennial plants, bulbs, ground covering plants and/or seeding directly into the soil.
- Ground cover, such as plants that cover the entire areas, should have a maximum height of 30 cm (12 inches)
- Any individual plant should be maintained at a maximum of 1 meter (3.3 feet)
- NOTE: No food-producing plants, woody shrubs or trees are permitted under the Declaration permit
- Remember to keep a 1.5 metre setback from trees and other fixed objects
The following are permitted:
- Flower plugs, grasses, bulbs and herbaceous plant material with a maximum rootball of 10.2 cm (4-inches)
- Ground covering plants or lawn alternatives should have a maximum height of 30 cm (12 inches). Examples: clover, creeping or woolly thyme, stonecrop or creeping phlox
- Seeds sown directly into the existing ground* (species variety must be less than or equal to to 30cm (12 inches) at mature growth height).
- Plant containers are permitted as long as they meet the specifications as listed in the guidelines.
- Organic wood mulch, no dyed varieties, or topsoil to a maximum of 5.1 cm (2 inches)
*Choose Wildflower Seeds Carefully: Some mixes contain invasive plants. Always read labels and select seeds specifically for Alberta that are confirmed as non-invasive. Local Alberta growers can offer advice and suggestions on species and native options.
Learn how to Spot, Report and Remove invasive weeds from your property! Visit edmonton.ca/weeds for valuable information.
You can use freestanding planters and containers that can be easily moved by a single person. Please note that built-in or permanently constructed planters are not allowed.
- Base Size: Each planter base can be no larger than 27.9 cm by 27.9 cm (11 inches by 11 inches).
- Total Height: The combined height of the planter and the plant growing in it must be under 1.0 meter (3.3 feet).
- Coverage: Planters can cover a maximum of 20% of your boulevard's total area.
- Placement: Complete a visual site inspection to avoid working on or placing planters on top of tree roots.
To calculate the number of planters allowed:
- Multiply your boulevard's area in square meters
- Multiply the total square meter area by 0.20
- Round the result down to the nearest whole number. This is the maximum number of planters or containers you can have
- Example: For a 16 square meter boulevard: 16 x 0.20 = 3.2; you can have a maximum of 3 planters
The following are prohibited for boulevard gardening under the Delegation permit:
- Mechanical excavation or digging deeper than 2 inches
- Lasagna gardening, also known as sheet mulching, is not permitted
- No composting directly on the boulevard
- Application of pesticides or fertilizers
- Planting of trees or shrubs
- No food-producing plants
- Planting invasive plants
- Installation of permanent structures
- In-ground irrigation systems
- Raised bed structures that are bottomless with retaining walls
- Ornamental items, including but not limited to, garden gnomes, umbrellas, bird baths, park benches, and similar
- Large signs or vertical stakes
- Gravel, or decorative rocks or stepping stones
- Landscape fabric is not permitted
- Mulches that contain conifer needles or straw are not permitted
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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:
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.
Apply to be a Boulevard Gardener
Submit your application for the Boulevard Gardening program.
- Underground Utilities: Boulevards often contain shallow utilities, so extra care and attention are essential when working. To avoid damage and ensure your safety, please dig no deeper than 5.1 cm (2 inches). We strongly encourage you to contact Utility Safety Partners for a free locate request before you start.
- Stay Aware of Your Surroundings: When gardening near roads and sidewalks, your visibility and awareness are key. Be mindful of vehicles, cyclists, pedestrians, pets, and wildlife. Please only garden during daylight hours to prioritize everyone's safety.
- Keep Pathways Clear While Watering: Plan how you'll water your garden. Never leave hoses, watering cans, buckets, or other tools unattended on the sidewalk, boulevard, or road, as they can create injury from tripping or damage to property. Please always remove them immediately after use. Your safety and the safety of other public is our first priority.
- Eco-Friendly Pest & Weed Control: Manage weed and pests in your garden using manual tools and regular maintenance instead of applying pesticides.
- Compost Sod: When removing sod, gently shake off excess soil before composting it. Remember to compost on your private property, not on the boulevard. This helps prevent attracting unwanted wildlife and keeps your boulevard looking attractive for everyone!
- Choose Plants Wisely: For best results, aim for non-invasive, drought-tolerant native wildflowers that grow to a maximum height of 30 cm (12 inches). The City is developing a suggested list of suitable plant species to help guide your choices.
Do you have bigger plans for your garden?
For more ambitious gardening projects, planting trees, shrubs, digging deeper than 5.1cm (2 inches) or adding decorative items, please visit the Residential Landscaping website for more information on how to apply for a License of Occupation Permit (LOO).
A Licence of Occupation (LOO) is a formal permit that allows the property owner to use the road right-of-way for landscaping features.
Contact Us
311 Contact Centre
Phone 311 | Outside Edmonton and Video Relay Service (VRS): 780-442-5311 | TTY 711