Having both a garden and a drive is a wonderful feature, and one that can be used to create maximum convenience and stunning beauty.
If you are looking for front garden with drive ideas, read on.
7 Front Garden with Drive Ideas
To maximise convenience, practicality and kerb appeal:
1. Find Your Balance
When you plan your garden with drive project, think about how much space you want to devote to each. It’d be nice if the whole space could be a luscious lawn and beautiful flowers… but if your space is small and you have a vehicle or two, this simply isn’t feasible.
By the same token, paving over the entire garden can impact your drainage (more on this in a moment), so it’s important to find the right balance in terms of both practicality and aesthetics. Start by considering how many cars you need to accommodate (including frequent guests) and work from there.
2. Consider Drive Drainage
We’ve had some hot, dry weather as of late; when the ground is hard from these conditions and we get some heavy rainfall, drainage systems cannot keep up. Water backs up and this can cause a host of problems. Completely paving over your garden to make a large driveway may sound convenient, but it can be the worst move for drainage.
Instead, consider a strip drive; that is, you’ll have two strips of drive material (paving or aggregate) laid to accommodate the width of a car’s tyres. In between are low-level plants that can tolerate these conditions. Thyme and other ground covers are great for this.
You could also do a more traditional 50/50 ratio between garden and drive with a soakaway (to catch rainwater for drainage) dividing them.
3. Path to Form and Function
If you have the space and can possibly avoid parking cars right in front of your door or front windows, do so! The garden will be directly in front of your home, surrounding the exterior. You will then have a pleasant pathway leading to the drive.
4. Create a Rain Garden
A rain garden allows you to accomplish a number of different goals: it provides a simple and effective drainage system, diverts rainwater from hard surfaces towards grassy, plant-filled areas (reed beds work optimally here) and are ideal for sloped properties. You can also move away from an all-grass lawn to non-grass landscaping; this is low maintenance, eco-friendly and able to withstand being saturated from runoff now and again.
5. Plant with Purpose
If you are lucky enough to have a front garden with a drive, you also have an opportunity to introduce plants that do more than look great! For example, you may install frees to provide a windbreak or screening or hedges for privacy and boundaries.
6. Container Beauty
All drive, and very little garden? We can work with that. Your drive is likely a neutral brown, grey or terracotta colour. You can use spectacular containers and potted plants to make a bold, beautiful and inviting impact. This will brighten the entire area, and remember, kerb appeal is important whether you are hoping to impress guests or wow potential buyers. It is also a chance to show off your style and give people an idea of what lies beyond the front door in terms of aesthetics.
7. Fence It In
Fencing in your garden can be an excellent choice if you have young children, pets or you want to create a little private nook for yourself. A secure fence keeps our loved ones (two- and four-legged in) and they can also keep unwanted visitors out. There is a wide variety of options, from simple wooden posts with wire or ornate wrought iron. This is up to your sense of style and your budget. Just make sure you consult with your local authority about visibility splays; your property may have requirements that you need to be visible from the carriageway.
From the very simple and budget-friendly to the more elaborate and expensive, the possibilities are virtually endless when it comes to using this important space. Which of these front garden with drive ideas appeals to you? Get started – and you can increase functionality, style and your home’s value.