Front driveway hedging and planting

Hi everyone

I was hoping to get some thoughts and ideas about how to manage, if at all possible, this area. In the area that’s currently a bit overgrown, in front of the rowan, there was a large conifer which we took out about 3 years ago. That had been allowed by the previous owners to grow a lot and I couldn’t trim it back without going into dead wood so we decided to take it out.

I have a few issues with the area currently.

1, the plants, but especially the berberis, grow out over the pathway quite a bit. I do trim them back once a year but because of where the conifer was, they are growing out at quite an angle and cutting it back to clear the path seems to leave it quite bare

2. I’m not sure what to do with the unkempt area. It’s an area pretty much in constant shade. I’d like to put a lot of ferns etc in there but I’m worried it’ll all just get swamped by all the stuff that seems to self seed, especially sycamores.

3. The conifer did used to hide the front of the house from the road but there’s now a gaping hole there. We are on a private estate so it’s usually only neighbours going by but it used to be nice feeling a bit secluded. I’m not sure whether to plant something else or whether the Berberis and Euonymus will eventually fill that gap.

I’m planning to top the Berberis to try to open up the rowan a little and will give it a bit of a trim to give a bit more space to the path. Other than that I’m not really sure what to do, it just all looks a bit untidy for front of house.

Thanks in advance.

 

I have a very similar site @latimer , but it's at the back of the house, on our rear access as we're an end terrace. I have a large conifer [3 trunks] which is good cover for the birds, so it's staying, and I just raise the canopy. There's a pine next to it, which should never have been planted, so that's getting cut right back, as it's now too big, and various things regularly seed in - hawthorn, ash etc, as well as cotoneaster. I also have a self seeded rowan which I actively cultivate, and is on the roadside boundary, but on the corner of the site. I just treat a lot of it as a hedge. Our drive/car parking is next to it too, so I like it to be reasonably tidy.

I started removing the pine before nesting season, so I also have a large gap at the moment, but it's less of a problem because it's not at the front of the property, although it is seen by everyone going along the access road, or walking past on the main boundary.
The other planting will gradually cover it, and I'd think that's what will happen with your berberis and euonymus. You could even train newer growth across the gap if that's possible. Perhaps a simple stake put in so that you can wire branches onto it?
You could possibly cultivate the berberis/euonymus as a more formal hedge too, but it depends how big they are, and how much spread they have.

 

I think I would try to create a more welcoming area in that space @latimer. I suspect that all those plants were there when you moved in and you have inherited an area which is not really to your liking, judging by the photos of your back garden and your previous posts!

I'd be inclined to give the area a revamp, removing anything which you don't like and then working with the cleared space. If the area is mainly shady, there are some grasses that will grow well with ferns as mentioned, there's also a number of shade tolerant flowering perennials. The Rowan may well fill out more once the area has been cleared. You could also consider growing a climber up it like Clematis rubromarginata which will provide additional screening, flowers and scent. I planted one last year to add interest to an evergreen shrub and it grew quickly.

Clematis triternata Rubromarginata

 

Thanks both

@Plantminded you are correct, they are all inherited but it’s not so much that I don’t like them or want a different style there, it’s that practically it can be a bit tight between the back of the car and the hedge when trying to open the boot or get past.

@fairygirl i like the idea of formalising it, but I think the way it’s grown will prevent me from doing that. Because of where the conifer was, both the berberis and the euonymus are growing at an angle as they grew to get out from under it. They are also only growing in one direction. I’m not sure if this photo helps.


The euonymus is growing almost horizontal and with both plants the leaves are very much towards the ends of branches where they’ve got out to the light. Neither of them grows towards the centre of the space, away from the road as that was all conifer

I don’t really want to replant, they’re established and do 75% of the job but they do somehow always just look a bit untidy.

edit: In terms of pruning, I’m worried that if I take them back as much as I’d want there’ll be very little growth left, it’ll just be trunk and branches

 

Oops, I thought that your mention of ferns might have been an indicator for a new look @latimer but I was clearly wrong! Maybe give the established shrubs some restorative pruning and try to get an upright framework from which the new shoots can then grow in a more natural shape. The framework will look bare to begin with but new shoots will soon form. I’ve just done that to a mature Berberis in my garden. Restorative pruning for the Euonymus, if it is an evergreen variety, is best done in late winter before new growth begins but you could try some lighter pruning now.

 

The Berberis and Euonymus should take a reasonable prune without being killed off, and it's simply because they've been restricted with light etc from the conifers, that have caused them to be misshapen.
It really comes down to whether you want to prune and wait to see how well they recover, or whether you want to replace, or add to, them.
You'd still need to wait for them to grow and fill the gap though, so it might be better to just do a bit of trimming to encourage new growth, and at the same time improve the surrounding area/soil etc. If you can clear the area well enough to allow another one or two plants of the same type, that will help with filling out the space too.
These sorts of sites are often a bit of a pain to sort though, unless you can go in mob handed and take it all out, apart from the rowan.
I also understand the need to have your path clear too. We have room for two cars, but we also have the bins there, so it took a bit of practice to get the cars in the best spots, with enough access all round, especially as mine is quite big, and there wasn't a huge amount of room between it and the fence/hedging.
Now that younger daughter has moved out - it's much easier!

 

Not wrong @Plantminded, after all, you’re right in that I brought up ferns.

But I think in terms of priority it's to try to tidy up what's there, create a bit more space for the path, fill the gap in the hedge and then start trying to make something of the space.

I think I'll start small, clear the area as best I can of anything other than the shrubs, reduce the height of the Berberis and then see from there.

Although I'm no expert, in other areas of the garden I've had a rough idea of what I want it to look like but with this I have no idea. It's always been a slightly daunting and therefore abandoned section even though it's right at the front.

 

I’d be quite robust with your clearing @latimer, those plants are tough and will soon grow back. The pruning will stimulate fresh green growth. I’d start by making your access easier and then move on to the other areas. I would still think about adding something more attractive to the cleared space though.

 

If you don't like the effect of the berberis and euonymus @latimer, or you trim them and they don't come back well, it's a case of remove and replace with something else.
What that would be will depend on whether you want something evergreen and lower maintenance, or something you spend more time on.
Evergreens would be best if they link well with the rowan berries, so anything white like a Choysia, or one of the e'green Viburnums would work, but if the berries are white, there are various other shrubs that would be fine like Escallonia or even Ceanothus. There's a white Escallonia too, which might be hardy enough where you are. There's also prickly things like Pyracantha or Holly, but you may not want those nearer the path - for obvious reasons!
Deciduous shrubs may also be fine, as they eventually have a framework to cover the gap, but that's where it comes down to your preference, and whether that would suit you. Loads of things in that category would work. Lilacs, Viburnums, Spireas, Deutzias etc.
It's your plot, so it always has to be your decision as to what will suit you best, and what you feel will look good