This area is a space that the homeowners see whenever they leave from or return to the house.  It is the first area the visitor sees, and often is a very open area that casual passersby hone in on — in short, a focal point.

There are challenges inherent in how to decorate such areas.  They tend to be small.  Typically, they are on the lower side of a front walkway, which defines the front foundation bed — a primary hot spot that was the first area to be developed and should not be hidden or overshadowed.   Other areas around driveways that benefit from garden decorating include at the base of the driveway (perhaps around the mailbox) or at the top of a driveway that does not reach the house.

Decorating Mailbox at Foot of Driveway

Between Head of Driveway and Front Sidewalk

Front Foundation – from Driveway to Front Door

Here are some key elements that have influenced how I’ve designed plantings for these driveway gardens:

(1) Appropriate (usually small) scale.  It is imperative in such a space that the mature size of each plant be taken into account.  There is no room for sprawl.  It is often more difficult to select plants for a small space than a large one because each plant (from the bulb to the small shrub) must be carefully selected to carry it’s weight appropriately.

(2) Layering.  These garden spaces are typically seen from various angles, so that the most comfortable design is often one that places taller items/anchors in the middle, and layers down to the edges.

(3)  Connect the garden bed style to the house architectural style.  (A grouping of neatly clipped plants looks better with a formal Colonial style house.)  More liberty can be taken in garden rooms or spaces off to the edge of the property.  Driveway gardens should complement the front architecture of the house.

(4)  Year-round interest.  The space could contain small evergreen shrubs.  It might highlight colorful flowering bulbs and long-flowering perennials — and if that is the case, simply add some small ornamental grasses or evergreen edging that will provide interest in winter months while the flowers are dormant.

One of my favorite driveway gardens is a very small and challengingly irregular-shaped space on a Bethesda property, a space formerly filled with turf grass that was quite cumbersome to mow.  The property is mostly heavily wooded, with plantings appropriate to that setting (deep shade, heavy — poor draining — clay soil).  The spot in the front yard between the house and driveway is one of the only spaces on the property that enjoys a lot of sun and soil that drains well.  The house style is contemporary split-level.  Therefore, the little garden could be designed to accommodate the homeowner’s yearning for a very colorful, lively perennial garden.

Bethesda Driveway Garden Before

Bethesda Driveway Garden under Preparation

Since the space is small, in order to provide variety and blooms through the seasons, the plants had to be selected very judiciously.  The bed only runs parallel to the house foundation for a short space;  it extends down several feet parallel to the driveway.  Converting a long-time turf area to a perennial bed may necessitate addition of amendments to meet the different nutrient needs of the plants, so a soil test should be done and additions made before planting.  In this case, a good deal of good compost was added because of the very low organic matter in that area.  (View the landscape planting plan for this garden here:    Driveway garden plan drawing

Soil amended per soil test and compost generously applied

In the center area (top to bottom lengthwise), we placed some Leucanthemum x superbum ‘Becky’ (Shasta Daisy) to provide height, bordered top to bottom with a pair of Pennisetum alopecuroides ‘Hamln’ (dwarf fountain grasses that provide important year round interest).  Note:  the Shasta daisies spread, and we have subsequently cut off chunks to install in a nearby area that also has some sun, to provide continuity/repetition. The composite (‘daisy-like’) flower form of the Shasta daisy was the model for other selections.  We placed Echinacea purpurea ‘Kim’s Knee High’ (Coneflower) in a space below the daisies.  Kim was selected because it is shorter than the Becky daisy and provides nice structure on that secondary scale.  We inserted some Coreopsis verticillata ‘Zagreb’ between the Echinacea, to repeat the composite flower type.  Further up, alongside the Shasta daisies are some Geranium ‘Rozanne’, which spreads nicely to fill in empty spots on that ground plane.  This is a nice edging plant, albeit sizable.  On other edges, mostly at the corners, can be found Dianthus gratianopolitanus — we used the ‘Neon Star’ variety of these Cheddar Pinks because of its dark pink/magenta flowers that blend with the Echinacea and are the same tone of ‘hotness’ as the Coreopsis and Geranium flowers.  The Dianthus was chosen because its powder blue grasslike foliage is evergreen, providing interest in the winter as well.  In the upper corner closest to the house, stands a dwarf Nandina, which serves as an anchor.  This was a transplant from the garden caty-corner to the new one that contained several Nandina and could easily spare one to situate in the new bed, providing the connection between those two spaces.

Bethesda Driveway Garden with mature flowers

Bethesda Driveway Garden Soon After Installation

Flagstones set above garden for walking access between driveway and door

This small palate of plants was carefully selected to provide a variety of textures and heights.  A simple pastel color scheme (not too busy) includes pink/purple, yellow and white inflorescenses.  All plants share the same cultural needs (full sun and well-draining soil).  They tolerate dry conditions and the adjacent hot concrete and car exhaust.

Hence, an awkward bland-looking space was easily transformed into a vibrant colorful area that provides interest in all seasons and offers great curb appeal for this home.

View the landscape planting plan for this garden:  Driveway garden plan drawing

Driveway garden plan drawing

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The initial cost of installing plant material is directly proportional to the size and age of the plant.  Think of planting a small tree for say $80.  As that tree matures over time, and grows into a major specimen highlighting the front yard, at 30 feet in stature, its value (replacement cost) will likely be over $1,000.  If ‘instant gratification’ is not an issue, there is tremendous value in installing well-planned, good quality plant material to reap its value as the landscaping matures.

The American Society of Landscape Architects recommends that property owners spent about 10 percent of the home’s value for landscaping.  This, of course, includes the cost of cultivating the gardens and installing plants, as well as hardscape features such as patios, lighting, arbors, paths, and water features.  Given the magnitude of such an investment, the wise homeowner will invest in a landscape plan.  The Association of Professional Landscape Designers can direct the homeowner to a designer nearby that has the “ecological, aesthetic and technical training to provide solutions that may not have occurred to you.”

New homeowners typically set aside a budget for home improvements and renovations.  The landscape often is saved for “down the road.”  Good landscape planning can take years to implement and, therefore, it is beneficial to have a professional evaluate the landscape and develop a master plan, or at least provide advice on how to stage changes to the property, at the very outset.  Ignorance about health and viability of mature trees on the property can have very costly and devastating effects, as terrible storms have demonstrated.

In fact, the landscape industry includes subset niches for those who provide professional consultation about landscapes, or coaching (lending their expertise to teach homeowners how to garden their property).  That large stand of bamboo that shields the potential new property

from close neighbors may in fact be a landscape nightmare, as certain bamboo is extremely invasive and quite costly and difficult to remove, or at least keep in check.  If you enjoy gardening, a trained landscape designer can guide your DIY projects so that you incorporate plants best suited to your area, cultural conditions, and maintenance abilities.  Homeowners intent on taking the landscape into their own hands often fall victim to one of the biggest pitfalls of landscaping:  proceeding without a coherent plan.  Their piecemeal approach ultimately often leads to a disorganized landscape with a hodgepodge of favorite plantings with no harmony, unity or polish.  Implementing a coherent plan, over time, will enable development of a harmonious landscape while remaining within budget.

An attractive and interesting landscape – curb appeal — is the first thing that potential homebuyers see, and it may govern their interest in looking inside.   But even if increasing the value of your property is of minor importance, the satisfaction and enjoyment of a nicely designed landscape – the first thing you see each time you leave your house or arrive home – undeniably will improve the quality of your life, and those who surround you.

The stunning landscape adds considerably to the value of this Baltimore County residential property. Mature contrasting specimen trees frame a simple water feature, whose edges are softened by colorful foliage perennials that make this spot a showplace.

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Water features can range from a large fish pond to a small fountain attached to a fence or set in a garden bed near the front of the house.  Garden centers are now full of ready made yet artistic products that can be installed quite easily, such as the ceramic urn with bubbling water spilling over the rim down the sides to disappear into a base of river rocks.

For a possible DIY project, you could create a “wall” to hang a fountain with a section of trellis or privacy fence panel, supported by posts.  You could set a basin on the ground, and mount a ‘mask’ or other ornament on the wall, drill holes for tubing, and plug.  A nice birdbath serves as a water feature that can be situated anywhere, without worrying about installation.

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Schizachyrium scoparium (Little Bluestem)

Every landscape should include a nice selection of ornamental grasses. They are very easy care plants – generally only needing shearing back close to the ground in early spring. They like lean soil – no need to fertilize. They are reliably deer resistant and pest free. They provide a range of benefits in the landscape – e.g., they make useful screening for much of the year (unless they deteriorate from heavy snow or other conditions, they should be left standing through the winter to provide interest for people and wildlife) and they can function as a groundcover to keep weeds at bay and prevent erosion. They mostly thrive in sun and dry soil, but there are species that do fine in moist soil and some shade. The photos show examples of some of the smaller varieties – not necessarily plants used for large screening, but plants that can fit into most any landscape. They also perform nicely in containers.

Nasella tenuissima (Mexican Feather Grass)

Calamagrostis brachytricha (Korean Feather Reed Grass)

Muhlenbergia capillaris (Pink Muhly Grass)

Acorus gramineus ‘Ogon’ (Golden Variegated Sweet Flag)

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But, evergreens aside, deciduous plants tend to provide more variety throughout the year.  On a larger scale, deciduous trees such as Lagerstroemia, or Crapemyrtle (varieties like ‘Natchez’), Betula nigra (River Birch), Cornus kousa (Kousa/Chinese Dogwood), Stewartia pseudocamellia (Japanese Stewartia), and Acer griseum (Paperbark Maple) exhibit great winter interest with lovely ornamental bark (exfoliating or peeling).  Many people direct landscape lighting on these to highlight their architectural interest in the winter. Shrubs with this characteristic include Hydrangea quercifolia (Oakleaf Hydrangea) and Physocarpus opulifolius (Ninebark). If interesting bark is not your thing, what about winter flowers?  Hamemelis x intermedia (Witchhazel hybrid) is a small tree that does well in the shady understory (a native plant, as well, which means, among other things, it is very easy to grow and resistant to problems) blooming right along with the snow towards the end of winter.  There are varieties that produce primarily warm-toned flowers in either in yellow, orange or red, and the flower shape is very unique.  As an added bonus, these plants have a beautiful dense textured leaf, which produces vivid fall coloring.

You’d be remiss if your garden did not include Hellebores orientalis (Lenten Rose), an evergreen perennial, which begins its very long blooming period in February.  There are numerous varieties and colors, and its deep green interesting foliage lingers throughout the year once the blooms have diminished.  An added bonus:  the deer do not like this plant.  This is just a sprinkling of the different categories of plants that can provide interest in your landscape throughout the year – more than earning their keep.

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Clethra alnifolia (Summersweet)

Chionanthus virginicus (Fringetree)

Lilium 'Casa Blanca'

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SUSTAINABLE PRACTICES – SOIL TEST AND COMPOST: One important step is to get a soil test, which can in part tell you if you may have over fertilized your property, give you soil pH, and identify the kinds of bacteria and fungi (microorganisms, which are necessary for healthy gardens, lawns, and trees) are present in your soil.  The soil test can tell you if adjustments are necessary to improve your soil.  You can improve your soil by working good compost into your gardens to encourage microbial activity.  It is most satisfying to recycle your own garden debris and make your own compost.  After you’ve reworked your soil, you should retest it periodically to monitor how the soil health has improved and if further adjustments are needed.  In this way, you will naturally improve your gardens, which not only helps you, but benefits the environment.

SUSTAINABLE PRACTICES – NATIVE PLANTS.  Conceptually, people generally like the idea of using plants native to our area.  Native plants that thrive in the region have adapted to the peculiar local growing conditions and do not need the extra water and nutrients required by non-natives.  Their natural resistance to insects and disease makes them a true asset to your garden.  A variety of native species in your garden will attract a diversity of beneficial insects to promote the health of all of your plants.  They also provide food and shelter for birds, butterflies, and other wildlife.  Every plant is ‘native’ to somewhere;  your goal should be to use plants native to the general region, and there are guides available to identify plants native to Maryland that thrive in various soil and light conditions.  While many native plants are naturalistic in form, such as those in woodlands and meadows, there are a variety of types.  Make it a point to strive to incorporate natives into your landscape as you add new plantings.

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