Drive/front garden planting

Discussion in 'General Gardening Discussion' started by Pilsburypie, Dec 10, 2019.

  1. Pilsburypie

    Pilsburypie Apprentice Gardener

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    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.
     
  2. john558

    john558 Total Gardener

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

      Pilsburypie Apprentice Gardener

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      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!
      A2D700F2-666C-482B-8834-36EAA6EF9CBE.jpeg 4A08279F-FB6C-413F-A70D-CE3F1E396AEB.jpeg E6CF51AA-D1BC-44E0-8CC8-F99CF335E486.jpeg A51C897B-E376-4380-AF2B-F299662A9D67.jpeg
       
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      • ricky101

        ricky101 Total Gardener

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        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 ?
         
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        • noisette47

          noisette47 Total Gardener

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          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.
           
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          • Pilsburypie

            Pilsburypie Apprentice Gardener

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            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.
             
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            • Pilsburypie

              Pilsburypie Apprentice Gardener

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              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.
               
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              • noisette47

                noisette47 Total Gardener

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                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!).
                 
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                • Pilsburypie

                  Pilsburypie Apprentice Gardener

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                  I shall look up those plants. Thanks for the suggestions.
                   
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                  • noisette47

                    noisette47 Total Gardener

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

                      Graham B Gardener

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                      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.
                       
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                      • shiney

                        shiney President, Grumpy Old Men's Club Staff Member

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                        There's an enormous variety of plants you can use in the large space you have available. From fairly large growing shrubs to Spring bulbs and perennial low growing early flowering plants to late summer flowerers. I haven't had time to search through some of our photos so have just grabbed a few to give you an idea of how quickly you can develop some of the beds

                        This bed was only two months old
                        P1230373.JPG

                        P1240023.JPG

                        Two months later - with a few quick growing annual climbers
                        P1250572.JPG

                        and then two years old (not a very tidy version) - this is before a lot of the flowers bloom
                        P1340444.JPG
                        Three months later
                        P1250871.JPG

                        Another bed
                        P1340265.JPG

                        with some of the Spring plants
                        P1410848.JPG

                        Another part of the driveway bed
                        P1410909.JPG

                        and another one with bigger shrubs/perennials
                        P1230172.JPG

                        And further along the same bed, a very rewarding perennial (Cistus) that flowers for quite a while through the early summer and is evergreen and needs very little looking after
                        P1240009.JPG
                         
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                        • Pilsburypie

                          Pilsburypie Apprentice Gardener

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

                            shiney President, Grumpy Old Men's Club Staff Member

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                            We only do a bit of weeding and some cutting back. Otherwise they look after themselves. :blue thumb:

                            Everything here has to look after itself as we have so much to do. :phew: The picture above is about a third of our front garden and that is small compared to the back garden. It gets harder every year :old: (we've been here 47 years :rolleyespink:).
                             
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