It is very tempting to decorate the front of your house with plants on the sidewalk, but is it really allowed and how to proceed if necessary? Follow our advice...
What does the law say?
Whether it is a village or even a city house directly on a sidewalk, it is logically forbidden to invest this public space to install plantations. However, the municipalities are rather conciliatory as for the embellishment of the roadway as long as your arrangements do not hinder the path of the passers-by, do not cause any nuisance to the neighborhood and that they do not generate any danger.
Some cities or villages even encourage this practice which contributes to the flowering of the commune; but be careful, if the town hall asks you to remove your plantations, you will be forced to do so.
Some rules to respect
For the well-being of all, it is necessary to respect some logical parameters so that your flowering takes place in the best conditions without hindering the freedom of others.
- Do not place anything on public equipment such as water or gas valves, meters etc...
- Make sure you leave room on the sidewalk for passers-by, thinking of handicapped people in wheelchairs but also of strollers; in no case should passers-by have to step off the sidewalk because of your arrangements.
- Forget about dangerous, toxic or thorny plants.
- Secure your pots and planters so that they do not fall over and injure a passerby.
- Avoid plants that attract pollinating insects such as bees to limit the risk of stings.
How to proceed?
There are several ways to flower your sidewalk:
- Use verticality to take up as little space as possible on the public space by installing climbers in square pots tightly glued to the wall. Choose plants that do not develop a too imposing trunk and prefer clematis, bougainvilleas, honeysuckles or ipomoeas to wisteria that are too powerful or roses that are too prickly.
- Also to exploit the verticality, install bags of flowers, with drooping petunias, bacopas or lobelias. You can also imitate our British friends by placing English baskets with delicate flowers high up.
- If you are not using your shutters, you can attach your planters filled with ivy pelargoniums or any other composition that is attractive to the eye.
- If there are gaps in the ground at the foot of the wall, don't hesitate to sow plants such as snapdragons, alysses, violas or even hollyhocks, which are always fabulous.
