Drive/front garden planting

I’m near to completing my front drive project. Basically fully renovated so now have bare beds. It’s an in & out drive so has a large semi circle at the front wall (8m diameter) and beds either side of the drive approx 1m deep and 9m long.

where can I get suggestions for planting these up? I’m after not too high maintenance but don’t mind a bit of upkeep.

 

Hi Pilsburypie, It would be good to see some pics please

 

Ok. Pics of the whole thing hard to take in one, so I’ve included my design with scale as well as a couple of pics from an upstairs window!

 

Hi,

You have some good sized beds to go at, but what is your general preference, grasses, flowers, evergreen shrubs, conifers ?

What may affect your planting is which direction is South ?

Also the bed agaist the house wall, is part of that the house entrance? and any room for climbers like Roses etc or are windows in the way ?

 

What a fantastic project to go at! On general principles, the usual advice is 2/3 or even 3/4 evergreen to 1/3 or 1/4 deciduous. Think foliage first, with flowers, fruits or berries as a bonus.

 

Hi Ricky. Preference I suppose would be a mix. Evergreen to give year round shape, grasses for a bit of movement and some low maintenance flowers for a bit of colour. Not sure on the conifers. With my limited knowledge I just imagine big leylandii which I’d rather avoid.

The drive is direct South facing so gets sun most of the day.

the bed by the house is round the bay window so climbers are not really an option.

 

like this advice. Seems sensible.

I was initially thinking of putting in some narrow hedges down each side to hide the fences. Privet or something and keep them tight and narrow. But I think if I did that I’d be loosing any depth on the narrow part of the beds.

I could avoid this by planting tall at the back and short at the front.

any suggestions for taller evergreen plants for the back of the side beds? In fact, suggestions for everywhere appreciated! Nothing too exotic as I appreciate this is going to take some planting and I’ve damn near cleared out the bank doing the drive.

 

Hmmm forget hedges...you'd have to trample the beds each time they needed trimming. What about Ceanothus, Escallonia, Cistus (Purpurea or Ladanifer for height), Phormium, Pittosporum, Photinia (Pink Marble is pretty), Ozothamnus, Cotoneaster lacteus, Mahonia 'Soft Caress', Rhamnus alternifolia aureovariegata(?)(you know..the variegated one!).

 

I shall look up those plants. Thanks for the suggestions.

 

Errr...try Rhamnus alaternus argenteovariegata. That's what comes of relying on the memory after a couple of glasses of France's finest :-)

 

For something in front of the low wall, consider ceratostigma. It flowers heavily all the way through from late spring to autumn, with flowers that look like a prettier periwinkle. Leaves are small and go from bright green to rusty orange through the year too. And it needs basically no pruning either.

 

Shines - very nice. Do those beds take much looking after? Really appreciate your photos.