Pick Your Plan
Six ready-to-use layouts for Springfield hell strips — three for standard 4-foot strips and three for narrow 3-foot strips. Each plan includes a visual diagram, plant list, seasonal care guide, and Springfield-specific tips for Zone 6b.
Standard Plans (4-foot strips)
For strips 4 feet wide or more — the most common size in Springfield neighborhoods.
Food & Herb Garden
Three-season herb garden with rotating veggie companions
Basil stars in summer, oregano and thyme anchor year-round, and cool-season greens rotate in spring and fall. Includes a month-by-month planting calendar for Springfield's growing season.
Pollinator Garden
Bloom succession from spring through hard frost for bees, butterflies, and birds
Layered front-to-back: creeping thyme and sedum at the edge, coneflower and black-eyed Susan in the middle, bee balm and blazing star in the back. One late-winter cutback is the only maintenance.
Native Plant Garden
Ozarks natives that thrive in poor soil — zero maintenance after year one
Gold sedge, aromatic aster, blazing star, butterfly milkweed, and more. No fertilizer, no irrigation after establishment, no mowing ever. These plants evolved for exactly this environment.
Narrow Strip Plans (3-foot strips)
For strips under 4 feet wide. Simplified layouts with fewer plants — still beautiful and functional.
Food & Herb Garden (Narrow)
Single-focus herb strip — one crop at a time, done well
Basil fills the whole center in summer. Lettuce and radish in spring, spinach in fall. Thyme edges year-round. Simplicity is the strength.
Pollinator Garden (Narrow)
Linear pollinator corridor — simplified but ecologically valuable
Creeping thyme edges, coneflower and black-eyed Susan in the center, one tall bee balm as a back accent. Even a narrow flower strip beats turfgrass for wildlife.
Native Plant Garden (Narrow)
Ozarks natives in a tight space — year-round color, zero fuss
Sedum 'Angelina' at the edge for winter color, gold sedge mat in the middle, aromatic aster and blazing star for fall drama. Self-maintaining after year one.
Not Sure Which to Choose?
Add your strip to the map first, then get free guidance from the Master Gardeners of Greene County. They'll help you pick the right plan for your specific strip — measuring width, checking sun exposure, and recommending plants for your exact conditions.
Add a Garden →