Front Garden - Extra Parking and Facelift

The client wanted to extend their tarmac front drive to provide an extra parking space. They had added  a row of paving slabs some time ago, as a pathway,  but visiting family still had to park behind a car on the drive, and often it meant swapping them round depending on who wanted out first. A double width drive was therefore desired, but now to make it look interesting?

THE BRIEF

• Double width driveway
• Kerb appeal
• Planting to provide some winter structure but plenty of summer colour

THE SOLUTION

• Use block paving, to add texture rather than more tarmac. I also designed in a circle shape to add further interest. (No point doing this if a car is always parked on top of it, but this would also be the pathway to the front door.)
• Simplify the lawn shape to make it easy to mow but also provide good strong shapes. The curves would echo the circle in the drive.
• Choose sun loving plants to provide a WOW in summer, but with structure elements for the winter too.

Before photos at the end.

The new extended part of the driveway, for occasional use. Looks smart and most of the time is a pathway to the front door. The installer, used a darker pointing mix in the circle to make it more prominent.

In the front border Physocarpus will provide height as well as colour contrast

Ostespenums will bake in the sun and provide excellent ground cover all year,
and flower for many weeks in the growing season.

Salvia April Night. Also very happy baking the sunny border providing upright spikes of purple.
If cut back mid summer, they will flower again by September and into October

Geranium Sanguineum Alba will spread and give good ground cover. They are planted with upright Verbena Lollipop and also purple leaved sage, which gives a nice foliage contrast, is evergreen, and also excellent ground cover 

A curve of Box plants will grow into a neat evergreen hedge for winter structure surrounding
an Amelanchier Shrub which gives 3 seasons of interest. The shrub will grow to  around
3-4 mtres and is underplanted with several Erysimum Bowles Mauve

A little more shade nearer the house, and fabulous dark stems of
Hydrangea Zorro. Beautiful even in bud, with flowers to follow which will also give winter interest

Artemisia Powis Castle will enjoy the heat of the sunny border, and ground cover from
Sempervivums add a further texture

The cat crept in! This border will very soon fill out and give a long season of interest with Roses, Spirea, Sedum,
Rudbekia, Penstemon, Thyme, Stipa Tenuissima grasses, and Geraniums.

BEFORE....

Single width parking, and a not very inspiring lawn / borders

The pathway had been added to several times with mix of materials

That's Better!

This client had recently downsized to a smaller house and garden. She brought with her a pretty Arbor Seat. The garden has a lovely brick wall on two sides.  My original design had the arbor facing across the garden, next to the shed and subdividing the garden, so that more of the garden was to be "discovered". The client however wanted her arbor face on, so plan B was developed. She is delighted with the outcome. And of course it will look fabulous over the next year or two.

THE BRIEF

• Use existing Arbour Seat
• New shed for storage (painted Lilac)
• Keep plastic compost bin
• Raised bed for herbs and salads (for her to plant herself)
• Use a pair of existing matching square planters with white Hydrangea, within the design
• Work with existing patio space
• Plenty of scent, including favourite Rose "Joie de Vivre"
• A long wish list of plants

THE SOLUTION

• Position shed with door facing away from view of house.with access path behind it
• Put compost bin behind shed (out of sight of house), accessible from new path
• Position raised herb bed next to patio for ease of access.
• Include small storage area next to side gate with gate to screen dustbins, recycling etc, but planting around it, to provide greenery
• Advice on which plants on her wish list were appropriate, provided a good starting point, with more of my recommendations added
• Green and silver foliage plants, with dark accents from Sambus, Acer Palmatum Garnet, Heuchera, Sedum Touchdown Teak, and Cimicifuga Brunette.

The garden now looks so much more interesting. The existing lawn needs a good feed and weed, and rain, and in time the fences will be clothed with climbers including Solanium, Passiflora, Trachelospermum Jasminoides, Honeysuckle, Hydrangea Petiolaris, Clematis Montana, Climbing Iceberg Rose, as well as several blue and deep purple clematis.

(BEFORE PHOTOS AT THE END)

Small storage area hidden behind gate and trellis. Box hedging will be clipped into shape in this narrow border,
and an evergreen Jasmine will climb through the trellis, providing scent in  mid summer. On the left
is the shadier side of the garden, where Hydrangea, Camelia, Sambucas and Acer shrubs are interspersed with
perennial Phlox, Euphorbia Palustris, Fuschia, Dicentra Spectabilis, and deep pink Astrantia Claret. 

Geranium "Laura" looks pretty next to the dark leaves of  Acer Palmatum Dissectum Garnet,
and also against the Lavender colour of the painted shed.

Clematis will be trained to climb the end elevation of the shed

Rose "Joie de Vivre" budding up nicely in the raised bed. The client will fill this bed with
herbs and salad crops, and enjoy the Rose next to the patio.

The Arbor seat with pots of white Hydrangea either side.  The sunny side of the garden has Rose, Heuchera, Penstemon, Sedums, Stipa Tenuissima grasses,Miscanthus Morning Light, Verbena, Echinacea, silvery Artemisia Powis Castle, and silver Lamium. The silvery theme continues with a Pittosporum Silver Queen which in time will fill the back corner, and a  Magnolia Susan will provide central height and spring interest.

The view from the arbour seat to the left, will soon be full of soft colour with Alchemilla, Penstemon, Echinacea, Sedum,
Erigeron Profusion, Catananche, and blue Geranium Rozanne.

BEFORE......