Inspiration for front of house driveway

Chickus

Hi there,
I am attaching a picture of the front of my house...we have a great sized driveway thats parks 4 cars but its oh so boring....I need to add some plants and maybe a small hedge down each size..(can a hedge be planted in spring?) or even a flower/shrubs on one side..the most size we would use daily is in front of window to park car..
The sun hits the back of the house.,garden is south west facing..and comes around the front in the summer evenings so this will affect what can be planted. I would love to have a small but colourful tree like the dwarf maple..or something at end of driveway walls to add interest..I will be keeping the gravel for the moment and don't want to take away too much parking space if possible.Lots of people in neighbourhood have those big grassy type plants with bushy blonde flowerheads..i don't know what they are called but would like one..
It needs some serious brightening up..those plants pictured are not there at moment.

Niall_daaS

Chickus wrote: »

Hi there,
can a hedge be planted in spring?) or even a flower/shrubs on one side..

Best time is from november - early april, so next months won't be an issue. When they come with a pot you could plant them all year round. But I would always prefer autumn because it gives plants the best start.

Lots of people in neighbourhood have those big grassy type plants with bushy blonde flowerheads..i don't know what they are called but would like one..

Just guessing: you mean like Cortaderia (check google for pictures). BTW haven't seen any pictures attached. Is that just me?

Chickus

Thanks you I finally have a name for those plants...my nan used to call them foxes tails!
I have tried attaching the picture again..
Thanks

Niall_daaS

If you like higher grasses like Cortaderia you might as well consider Fargesia murieliae which could make a nice protecting, evergreen hedge (it's acutally not really evergreen, because it loses its leaves and grows new all year round) on the left side of the picture. Look for varietys like 'Simba' or 'Bimbo' to make sure they don't get to big. Also Prunus laurocerasus (cherry laurel) is a hedging option (needs trimming several times a year especially to the border). If you like it more in a formal way I could also imagine taxus baccata (yew tree) in blocks where you fill the space between the blocks with single Cortaderia. The blocks would need regular trimming to keep the neat form. Or you could give it a unique shape (like waves or what ever you like).

The grasses as well as the Fargesia and the laurel might show reaction to very low temperatures like falling leaves - which is not really a bigger problem. As I said Fargesia is losing leaves all year round, so you might want to prepare your neighbour Taxus doesn't like heavy soil or clay where water is not draining enough, so you might take further advice from someone who could have a look at the place in advance to make sure ground conditions are right.

pwurple

How about repeating some colourful hardy items.

Lavender, alchemilla mollis, verbascum. Very commonly available plants, easy to grow. Pop in them in a repeat pattern... like this pic. Add a taller grassy one into the pattern if you want more height.

Chickus

Some lovely ideas there..thank you. Can't wait to get it painted too..