How to create the perfect driveway
Create a gorgeous driveway that keeps your car safe from scratches, scrapes and that notorious villain; runaway shrubbery.
THE OFF-STREET STABLE
In today’s modern housing developments, blocks with smaller frontages are becoming the norm, and with this comes the increasing importance of off-street parking. Finding space to tie up your steed is becoming trickier than ever.
To make the most of narrow and compact spaces, thoughtful plant choice coupled with smart design is the key. Opting for trees and shrubs that don’t encroach on valuable parking space is vital to success. Getting this right will ensure that your precious ride will always have a safe place to rest, while also enhancing your home’s curb appeal. And who doesn’t want curb appeal?
A Viburnum hedge.
THINKING VERTICALLY
One of the most effective ways to landscape along a driveway is to choose trees and shrubs that are more “fastigiate”. These plants grow vertically in habit rather than horizontally, allowing you to create vertical rather than lateral interest and allows for green space without compromising on the width of your driveway. While there are some trees and shrubs that are naturally fastigiate, there are many that have been bred specifically for this purpose.
Pyrus calleryana Capital is a popular go-to for its highly ornamental beauty, resilience and upright habit. Capital will grow to a height of 10 metres over time with a width of only two to three metres. Although this can be kept to one metre, with minimal seasonal pruning.
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Malus ‘JFS KW213MX’ Raspberry Spear is a new-to-market crab apple. It’s a narrow, upright-growing tree with attractive dark purple foliage that contrasts beautifully with the mass of magenta-pink flowers in spring. Ideal for small gardens and planting in rows along fence lines.
Ginkgo biloba Piedmont Pillar is another newly bred upright tree. This tall and narrow tree has enormous design appeal because its leaves change from deep green to golden yellow in autumn.
Evergreen shrubs such as lilly pillies and Murraya also make great choices for lining a driveway, particularly if there is a very narrow space to fill. The psyllid resistant Lilly Pilly Syzygium paniculata Backyard Bliss takes very well to being tightly clipped. Its coppery-toned new growth shimmers like an Akhal-Teke in the sun (Google it!). Syzygium australe ‘SAN01’ Straight and Narrow is another great choice for its upright pillar-like habit.
The ever-so-classic green pencil pine Cupressus sempervirens Glauca will always get a special mention also.
Another way of thinking vertically is by vertical gardening. There are some innovative modular designs out there like the Atlantis Gro-wall, which will allow you to line your thoroughbreds’ thoroughfare with a wide selection of appealing garden plants. Alternatively, vertical gardening can be as simple as affixing mesh to an existing infrastructure (expert advice on fixing and structure should always be sought) and growing a thick layer of your favourite climber. Trachelospermum jasminoides (Chinese star jasmine) is without question my favourite for this.
Expert advice on fixing and structure should always be sought.
The vertical lines created will define the driveway while guiding the eye toward the house. Also creating the illusion of more space, which is particularly important on smaller frontages.
Carex Feather Falls makes a hardy choice, given it is both heat and frost tolerant.
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SOFTEN THE LOOK
While upright trees provide the structure, its equally as important to soften the edges of the driveway to create a more inviting appearance. Low-growing plants and groundcovers are perfect for filling the gaps in the garden created by the trees. They create a more relaxed, natural feel. Plants with a soft structure or strappy leaf are ideal as they are the most forgiving for the distracted rider dismounting too close to the garden.
Liriope Emerald Cascade is a low-growing, dark green, low-maintenance strappy leaf plant that will fill an area, gently spilling over the edge of the hard line of the driveway. Think mondo grass wearing SPF 50. Many Dianella and Lomandra strappy leaf species continue to be bred for their adaptability in our harsh climate.
Lambs Ears (Stachys byzantine) has wonderfully soft (as soft as lambs’ ears), foliage, making it another wise choice. Its silvery grey leaf will also offer a stunning contrast to other plants and hardscape surfaces in the garden. Another soft growing, extremely hardy choice offering a striking colour contrast is Carex Featherfalls.
Lavender The Princess adds colour to the lower level and looks stunning when planted together in a row along a driveway.
GIDDY UP!
The importance of choosing plants with a fast rate of growth is easy to overlook when considering your driveway landscape. While many aspects of a garden are mostly a “look but don’t touch” affair, unfortunately a driveway garden is often not given that same level of treatment. One wayward, Dunlop-clad hoof and you’ll be sorry your garden grows as slow as a Clydesdale.
Creeping boobialla (Myoporum parvifolium) is a low-growing, native groundcover that will give you an impressive tough green carpet as fast as Phar Lap.
As always, if you’re the DIY landscaping type, seek the advice of professionals. Your local independent garden and hardware stores and centres can be a wealth of knowledge when selecting the right plants. And if you’re less inclined to undertake the task, reach out to a licensed landscaper. Your car deserves nothing but the best.
This article first appeared in the Summer 2024 issue of SALIFE Gardens & Outdoor Living magazine.