Residential gardening in the City of Ottawa’s right of way

by Lynne Patenaude, with input from Wild Pollinator Partners members and City staff

PRINTABLE BROCHURE (PDF) created by Lesley Mather of @jeledesign

You can now plant right up to the curb in front of your house! In 2023 the City of Ottawa’s Use and Care of Roads By-law 2003-498 was updated to permit residents to plant on the land that abuts your property, adjacent to the street. This land, known as the right of way (ROW) or boulevard, is owned by the City but cared for by the resident (see Section 5A in the bylaw for details and the summary on the website).

This ROW space between the sidewalk and the road is planted with Lance-leaved Coreopsis, Black-eyed Susan, Butterfly Weed, Beebalm, and Swamp Milkweed. Photo by Laura Vargas.

How deep is the ROW?

Check how deep the City’s ROW is by entering your address on the City’s GeoOttawa map.

The ROW may be the first 2-3 m from the curb, which in older areas may be most of the front yard.

Why plant in the ROW?

Our cities need more green spaces that add beauty and biodiversity. Planting within the ROW can create connected corridors of habitat for pollinators and make our ecosystem more resilient. Replacing turf-grass with plants can help minimize flooding, restore groundwater, provide cooler areas for walking, and help our planet stay cool.

Restrictions

The City now allows you to install “soft landscaping,” which means plant-based material, on ROWs in residential neighbourhoods. You are not allowed to use bricks, pavers, rocks, stones, concrete, tiles, or wood (including raised beds).

To prevent damage to tree roots and maintain access to infrastructure, the City has set the following limits or “set-backs.” This means you can’t plant directly beside these objects and must maintain a minimum distance, as highlighted in the slideshow below.

1.5 metre radius of a fire hydrant, as well as within a 3 metre wide corridor from the fire hydrant to the roadway

1.5 metre radius of a fire hydrant, as well as within a 3 metre wide corridor from the fire hydrant to the roadway

1 metre of a City tree as measured from the trunk

1 metre of a City tree as measured from the trunk

1.5 metres at the back or sides of a hydro transformer, as well as a 3 metre wide corridor from the front of a transformer

1.5 metres at the back or sides of a hydro transformer, as well as a 3 metre wide corridor from the front of a transformer

1 metre for infrastructure other than those listed already shown (e.g., Gas and telecommunication pedestals, grade level boxes, hydro poles, guide wires, City signage, and Canada Post mailboxes)

1 metre for infrastructure other than those listed already shown (e.g., Gas and telecommunication pedestals, grade level boxes, hydro poles, guide wires, City signage, and Canada Post mailboxes)

1.5 metres of a catch basin or manhole

1.5 metres of a catch basin or manhole

What can you plant?

“Soft landscaping” includes flowers, grasses, shrubs and plant-based mulch. Plants must be one m or less in height, and 75 cm or less in height in the visibility triangle at a street corner.

We encourage you to use plants that are locally native because they will best support the butterflies, bees, and birds that evolved with these plants. Ornamental plants that are not invasive are also permitted.

Please visit this blog post to see our lists of recommended plants: https://www.osean.org/blog/recommended-native-plants-for-ottawa-row-right-of-way-gardens

Which plants are not allowed?

Residents may not plant trees in the ROW. If you would like a tree (there are many reasons you should), please contact the City’s Trees in Trust program.

At present, the City does not allow plants for consumption, such as vegetables and herbs. This will be reviewed in 2024.

The bylaw lists some specific invasive plants that are not permitted in the ROW, as well as other regulated noxious weeds and invasive plants. This includes many plants that may still be sold at nurseries:

Invasive ground covers

  • Creeping Jenny

  • English Ivy

  • Goutweed

  • Periwinkle

  • Lily of the Valley

  • Leafy Spurge

  • Japanese Spurge (Pachysandra)

  • Spearmint

  • Yellow Archangel

 Invasive shrubs and grasses

  • Non-native honeysuckle shrubs

  • Burning Bush

  • Wintercreeper

  • Japanese &   Common Barberry

  • Multiflora roses

  • Miscanthus grass

Other invasive plants

  • Dame’s Rocket

  • Ditch Lily aka Orange Daylily

  • Garlic Mustard

  • Dog-strangling Vine

  • Buckthorns (European, Glossy)

  • Knotweeds (Japanese, Bohemian, Giant)

  • Giant Hogweed

  • Wild Parsnip

  • Invasive Phragmites

  • Ragweed

  • Poison Ivy

  • Wild Chervil

  • Knapweeds

  • Thistles (Canada, Bull)

  • Coltsfoot

  • Spurge (Cypress, leafy)

How to get started

  • Contact Ontario One Call to locate underground wires and infrastructure so you know where to dig.

  • Use hand tools only. No machinery is permitted.

Suggestions for native plants that meet the height restriction are found below, listed by bloom time, from spring to fall. To best help our pollinators, try to choose flowers so you have blooms in all three seasons.

This is a plain-language summary drafted by Lynne Patenaude for Wild Pollinator Partners and the Ottawa South Eco-Action Network. For full details, please consult Bylaw 2003-498 and the City of Ottawa’s official summary.

Revised: March 2024