low maintenance plants for driveway.

Hi all, new here and looking for help and advice have loads of questions.
We have just moved into a new hse and have a huge job a head. We have spent the last few days strimming this jungle down just to look tidy to start with.
My first question is there is a border of about 3 foot wide along the drive way which is some distance to the hse. What is the easiest low maintenace plants or flowers that I can plant there. This border follows around the front wall and again about 6 foot from the front of the house. There are various hedges which I have cut back already Ive strimmed the lawn. Later I will but a lawn mower over it.I plan to strim the beds right down weed and dig out what mess is there and leave empty to put something easy to maintain in it. Due to the ammount thats going on the back of the property I need the front to be very easy to look after yet look presentable at the same time... help.... any advice appreciated

 

Can you provide a few photos of the borders, and also tell us which way they face so we know how much shade they are likely to get?

 

Hi Ive the beds covering about 3/4 of the length in pics.As you can see I've strimmed only was about a foot high when I started..next weekend I will dig all the top surface off started getting rid of all the weeds.I showed the one photo with the shadow to the right today I'm presuming south facing in the sun all day untill around 5pm the bed in front of the house has the shade.

 

The world's your oyster as it's so open and presumably on the slope it won't hold water either. I'd suggest you narrow your choice a bit from just low maintenance. Do you want colour, any particular likes/dislikes? All year? Low growing? Do you want it yesterday (ie in flower already). Luckily we'll soon be past frost danger so you can find loads of plants in garden centres etc for a quick-fix but for the longer term maybe take your time choosing something you really like.

Also, do you know whether there's anything already planted in the borders which you'd want to save? If you didn't see the house before the garden became overgrown your neighbours may be able to tell you.

Good luck.

 

Thank you for your reply not on a slope ..just my pic lol...In hurry dont want things right now All year pref and low or med growing. Flowers I could put by the front of the hse.But dont want the whole garden with flowers dont have the time to look after it. There are various large bushes in the front which I have cut back as they were huge. We plan to fill a hug gap to the left of the garden re next door with a hedge(small trees) so that sorts that out. Maybe some type of small bushes the flower that dont die off is there such a thing..

 

There are plenty of small bushes which are evergreen and flower for a short time. Take a look at hebes - there's a wide variety and most of them have some flowers although in some varieties the flowers are very small and hardly noticeable. There are varieties with different coloured leaves too, from a light green to deep purple. They're also easy to grow from cuttings.

Aubretia, though not a bush will stay green all year and then flower all summer. Can get a bit straggly in the winter though so you need to keep it trimmed.

 

I have a low wall in my front garden, similar to the one in your photos, with a narrow bed next to it.
I planted it with a mixture of two different types of Euonymous; 'Emerald Gaiety' and 'Emerald n Gold, several years ago. They're an reliable, evergreen, unfussy little shrub which only need a light prune once or twice a year to keep them in good shape.
This is the bed in question, photo taken today:

 

Hi all thanks for your replies have looked at pictures of what you suggested.I like the idea of Heucheras and aubretia so will look into that.We had daffidils tulips another flowers but had a foot high weeds amongst them. Making it a mission to keep it tidy its just easier started again. Depending were we put what we may add mulch or chippings to keep the weeds at bay once its done its done.. Will keep you posted with this at a later date.

 

Kniphofia.
Smothers weeds.
Evergreen.
Flowers in summer.
Doesn't need trimming.
Get different coloured ones.

 

Look at Heucherellas as well they tend to be a bit daintier and have fantastic leaf colour, range for you may be a bit limited as they prefer some shade and they do die back in winter but for me they beat Heuchera.

 

Rhododendrons are good for shady borders and pretty low maintenance.

However, you should bear in mind that whatever you plant will need a bit more tlc until it's properly established

 

Thanks for your replies just looked at Rhododendrons I do like them. I have a a shady section infront of the hse as there is two bush type trees they could go inbetween them. There is also a section in the back I would like to put them. In my profile picture when you go up the step in the middle of the pic to the right,there is a slight rockery wall at the front and a big section I want to pull out at some stage part of that is shady. I dont have a problem sorting out the bedding areas untill its established ..just easy to look after once its settled.

 

This is a side view of the profile picture ..were I'd like to put some Rhododendrons I think they would look great here. I intend to keep some of whats there but not all.Loads of weeds there so another big job as it goes all the way back to the boundry fence.

 

You should do a soil test before planting - or else ask a neighbour if they know what type of soil you have. Alternatively, look in your neighbours' front gardens and see what they are growing - that way you'll know what will grow well in yours

If they have Rhododendrons, Camellias, Azaleas, Magnolias, etc then Rhodos will do well in your garden. If not, don't fret because as long as the soil isn't too alkaline you can make the soil more acidic by digging in some ericacous compost into the soil around the planting hole and by feeding with a suitable ericaceous fertiliser.

I give mine some Miracle Gro slow release food for Rhododendrons and Camellias once a year, which lasts them through the whole season.

Do you have a particular colour scheme in mind?