hi Anna,
it looks like a fairly dry and hot area , a row of ornamental pears either side could look great but whatever you plant it would need a watering system to get it established, and a good thickness of mulch to retain the moisture, once established they are quite tolerant of all conditions, but the 1st year is critical to give them a good start, check your local nursery for hardy species in your area, mass plant with one species as it looks uniformed and great.

Thank you Julie! You’re exactly right - I am in rural north-west NSW, it’s so hot.

I have planted some agapanthus down one side of the driveway (which is something I always wanted to do!)

I was thinking more of what I should do in that dry patch at the front of the driveway and either side of the front entrance to the driveway - I have just been to our local nursery and they say a crepe myrtle would grow well here. I just need to prep the soil properly so maybe that is the way to go...

or maybe some stones?

Hi Anna,
The crepe myrtle either side of driveway would look lovely, then all the way along driveway use the large creamy river rocks, that would look very uniformed and quite stylish, by having the feature at the entrance and a neat row of stones along the drive it would be lovely.

These type of rocks , any weeds can be easily pulled or sprayed, crepe myrtle ... gorgeous

Hello Anna , I agree with Juliet, crepe myrtles love love heat and dry conditions but will give you such a show every summer if all you do is cut them fairly hard every winter . They are also very forgiving if you are not sure how is the “ correct way” to prune . The new variety are mould resistance and flower heavily.
I too loved agapanthus until they spread way too much too fast and I got tired of having to cut all the seed heads before they fell , the sap clogs ups the shears ( as secatuers will not handle a huge hedge of these plants .
PS I have the dark purple crepe myrtles at the front of my place ( chosen in error) but OMG they set off the whole house and yard .
These trees will also give you valuable shade in the hot temperatures.

Fantastic!! Thank you both soooo much. I will go with the crepe myrtle. Do you think January would be a bad idea to plant? Maybe I should wait until it’s not so hot? I’m a beginner gardener!

Yes, the dark purple foliage crepe myrtles are beautiful. We have them (Diamonds in the Dark) all along our drive and garden beds. They will certainly need TLC until established; I also recommend using a water meter to check moisture/dryness of soil once planted and using good quality mulch. Rabbits and hares at our place chomped the young plants so we surrounded each tree with wire and staked them in place. It has helped; however, it may not be an issue for you. We also have the large river stones Julie shows and they really do look good and help control weeds; however if you place weed mat down before you plant the crepe myrtles, that will also help with weed control. We had to do that as our backs can't take the bending over to weed!

hi Annb,
just found a tip on keeping rabbits from munching on plants, sprinkle the plants with baby powder, apparently they don't like the addition to their menu, great tip re weed mat under stones, anything to help the back is so welcome.

Thank you so much, Julie! That's a great tip! Cheers!

Thank you! You are both wonderful.

P.s you should see the backyard....complete blank canvas at this stage!

hi Anna,
thankyou for your lovely comment, it's exciting starting with a blank canvas, it means you can then visualize your final dream without having to try and fit in with existing and not always what you want, good luck with your garden, hope you post us updates.

I have nothing against Crepe Myrtle except that you have to prune it hard every year and then for few months you have absolutely nothing to look at. Instead you could use Camellias , some flower couple times a year and even when they are not in flower they are green and beautiful, they don’t require much care and water. You can leave fallen flowers on the ground it makes perfect mulch and no weeds.

I'd try planting jasmine along the fences to soften them up as well. Stick wire on front so they attach to that.

Oh I love that idea! Thank you

Yes plant Murraya paniculata on the narrow side of the drive way and Camilla’s on the wider side !!

Camellias would be lovely too.

The Australian plants societies may provide some ideas

http://www.austplants.com.au/plant-database -

there are groups in many regions of NSW who may have cuttings etc to share when you start populating the rear gardens.

The driveway is a challenge because many plants will be too bushy unless you can prune to have a long stem and fluffy top above the height of a car.

Otherwise the branches will scratch the car once the plant gets a bit bigger, based on the wheel tracks down the driveway.

What's the pole beside the letterbox? Do you need to consider access to it?

Hello Anna , Camellias are a beautiful tree and they come from the cooler regions of Asia and are more suited to a humid / cooler conditions. I have them on the southern side of my home here in Sydney where they have protection from the hot sun . Flowers will burn as will some leaves from hot winds and dry conditions are not really to their liking . I’m not saying they won’t grow, they will but will struggle and need to keep roots moist . They become quite broad and will eventually brush against cars etc as your driveway is narrow .
Crepe myrtles are from India originally and the warmer Asian countries. They do lose leaves and with this comes a change of view as the leaves turn a bright orange/yellow and give you completely different look . After this the tree will be bare for a few months exposing the stunning bark ( more mature trees ) that you just cannot walk past without touching . Then in spring the new growth is like green ! They don’t really NEED to be pruned but you will get lots more flowers . As you are using this in a driveway i would just let the grow naturally and as a narrow, tall ish tree =. Great for drive way .
Let me take a picture of mine here in Sydney . I will send it next .
Also , as you are driving around your area keep an eye out for trees that catch your eye , ask your local nursery man , if you have one . Crepes love hot dry areas and will not need watering at all after established . That’s why some councils in nsw use them as nature strip trees = low care !!
Most important of all ...... enjoy yourself !! Gardening very rewarding

BTW , these trees have just gone through a fortnight of high 37-45’. You would never know it . I love them
Best wishes Paula

What a fabulous comment , they look gorgeous.

Hello Anna , you can see the Murraya hedge in the photo too . One of the hardiest plants around !! Needs constant cutting to keep like this , I get away with maybe 4 times year and already need a ladder to do the top . I love it as it’s great for little lady bird beetles and provides shade for little wrens and butterflies . Gardenings added bonus !!!