Small front yard advice! Adding driveway & landscaping
Looking for advice/input for my front yard.
Currently gets great afternoon sun so want to not landscape it all out (leaving a space to sit on grass or driveway). Putting in a driveway on the left (when looking at this pic) & decided on 3 olives down the left-hand side (removing what is there for driveway).
Wondering about any other great ideas that work well with olive trees & the vibe of the house, while keeping some grassed space. Love hydrangeas if anyone has examples using these with olives.
The fence will be a dark blue picket. Driveway surface still undecided...crushed rock or a stepping stone look (with grass in-between).
Appreciate any help & input!!
TIA
PS inspo from current pins L-R (crushed rock for driveway, Olive & shrub, hydrangeas, & stepping stone vibe for driveway)
Comments (12)
5 years ago
5 years agoFor your driveway, look at Permeable driveway pavers. Will soften the front yard look, and still let the water drain away.
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Landscaping my front yard
Comments (3)Do you need the extra width of concrete and the gravel next to the garage? There's not a lot that you can do if both of these are to remain. If not there are a few options open to you that I can instantly see - 1) Remove the existing hedge and replace with a taller variety 2) Have the hedge come to the edge of the concrete that will be in line with the front door. Having this part of the property hidden gives the illusion of secrecy and is far more interesting than one that is so readily seen 3) Remove the gravel. 4) Cover this area with low plantings and 2 trees, one planted in the 90 degree angle of the driveway leading into the garage. Allow for width of the tree trunk as it grows. This will provide shade over the driveway for visitors etc. It would be better to use a deciduous variety and a medium sized tree. There are a lot of plants that could be considered for the lower plantings ranging from ground covers to hummocky type plants to give varied heights. 5) I would remove the lawn on the RHS of the driveway and consider the same treatment here as on the LHS for continuity. 6) Have another tree, like a crepe myrtle [this would depend on soil type and where this garden is positioned] on the RHS. Position so that you would walk under the canopy of the tree as you use the path. Alison...See More'Unique' front of house redesign/landscape w/sunken garage/small yard
Comments (13)I guess the first question is what do you want to do in the front garden ? A fence like dreamers 2nd pic looks great , and hides almost everything , but personally i don't think it matches the style of your house . You don't have children or pets , so it then comes down to a bbq , or a cricket pitch haha . My gut feeling would be to enlarge the front terrace , probably by removing the wrought iron work , and have a 2nd wooden terrace , one step ( say 200mm ) lower than the concrete one , add a pergola over the lot , maybe a latticework wooden panel ( or even 2 ) at the very front , maybe a builtin seat along the righthand side . Of course , you will also want at least a stainless barbeque , maybe an outdoor kitchen , as well as a couple of outdoor tables , and at least 8 matching chairs . There are problems with both low and tall front fences due to the layout of your section , your house is pleasant , my idea would be to update and upgrade it a bit , without trying to make it something it isn't , or without hiding it ....See MoreLandscaping driveway and front garden- please comment and advise
Comments (7)I do love native violets but they show their best with some shade. For full sun a very rough forums cover with small white flowers is myoporum. The Gardening with Angus site has a great plant selector for other options. Good on you for looking at standard Lilly pilly - they give you greenery all year around unlike roses, weeping cherries etc....See MoreNarrow Driveway & Landscape
Comments (7)Lawn is a weekly chore so only have as much as you need. In addition to what I said about access for the mower, if it's for a childrens play area a retaining wall in the middle reduces functional space and creates a hazard. A retaining wall could be used to edge the garden bed along the back fence. Don't make the garden beds very narrow, finding suitable narrow hedging plants that don't need constant cutting back is a challenge and having the space for an informal hedge will reduce maintenance. It looks like you want some privacy at the back fence so need to allow for larger shrubs there. Think about whether the landscaping can increase comfort for the house, for example a tree for summer shade....See More- 5 years ago
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thank you @Julie Herbert Yes I love the low hedge & hydrangeas - I have that image saved on my Pinterest already :) Wondering if I can do that around the existing tree as it's so lovely... a bit like this..
Also love your diamond creepers - definitely going to do something like that - maybe Star Jasmin - 5 years ago
Thank you @bigreader - we've drawn out a rough plan and there is room for a .5m or 1m garden bed on the left, gate and ped gate. It just depends if the pedestrian gate should line up with the front door & centre of the house... I know a lot of little houses it doesn't @Sunfish House do you think it is important... Also... even removing the garden bed would be a squeeze to get the ped gate centred I think.
This (I'm not a very good drawer) drawing includes 0.5m garden bed with blank space from the centre to the right garden bed as I'm not sure what to do with that.
@dreamer thank you for the input... I saw this yesterday which I really like for the driveway which also looks quite soft & go with the Olive look (I think). Aggregated stone colour paver/concrete...
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Lavender is the perfect planting under olive trees, planters overflowing with hydrangeas would look wonderful on your porch or plant them in a shady spot in the garden, definitely keep that gorgeous shade tree.
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Julie Herbert