Ideas wanted for driveway boundaries

[frediynewbie]

Thinking of planting some native shrubs and put some mulch/pebbles on a narrow soil patch beside our driveway (left side). Looking for some ideas. Mine is the left side until where the brick ends (50cm). 

here is a bit of a fall from my side to my neighbour's (around 150mm). Do I need to put sleepers to retain my side or does a wide garden edging be enough?

[KatieC]

Hi @frediynewbie,

We can absolutely help with some inspiration for your driveway garden, I recommend checking out this great article Top 10 most popular garden makeovers as a good starting point. 

Our resident DIY expert @EricL will be online later this afternoon to assist with your retaining wall question but let me also tag our knowledgeable members @prettyliving, @EleventhCoastal, and @Itai as they have awesome experience in front lawn landscaping to see what they would suggest. 

We would love to see how your driveway garden turns out, please keep us updated with photos. 

Katie 

[EricL]

Hello @frediynewbie 

Thanks for sharing your question about putting in some native plants in your driveway boundary. Before you begin, I recommend having a friendly discussion with your neighbour about your idea. 

My only other concern is the location of your downpipe. You'll notice that your downpipe is located close to the middle of your boundary. I suggest digging a little bit to see if the sewer ground pipe is close to the surface. If it is, I don't recommend putting in any plants in that area as there will be no room for their roots to grow into.

However, a good alternative would be to put in some raised garden beds. This will still allow you to plant hedges on your area and prevents the ground pipe from being disturbed.

I suggest having a quick look at this guide: How to choose a hedging plant by @Adam_W. 

Here is a link to our best advice: What plants are good for screening? 

Here is a handy step-by-step guide: How to build a raised garden bed by @Adam_W 

If you have any other questions we can help with, please let us know.

Eric

[MitchellMc]

Hi @frediynewbie.

I just wanted to elaborate on my colleague's reply about having a chat with the neighbour. I suspect Eric was alluding to the fact that you have a very narrow space for planting if you are to keep to your side. Not only is it a small strip, but you'll need to constantly trim the backside of the plants in order to keep them on your side of the boundary. If your neighbour is happy for you to plant out the entire area, including their side, that would be a much better solution as no edging would be required, and you both will be able to trim your side when needed.

If you wanted to establish the boundary, then sleepers would be the most solid solution. However, their 50mm thickness would take up some of the already tight space. I don't think you'll be retaining a whole heap of soil, so the sleepers might be a little overkill. Garden edging would also be fine to use as an aesthetical barrier, and there are plenty of options to choose from. Here's a helpful guide on How to choose garden edging.

Please let us know if you have any questions.

Mitchell

[frediynewbie]

Thanks @EricL and @MitchellMc 

Thanks for your inputs. We might just change our plans for this as you've raised some quite good points.

Maybe we'll just put garden edging in our boundary and lay some white pebbles along the strip to stop the weeds. What edging should I use if I need to put around 150mm high pebbles?  

Is there a narrow pot or planter I can put on top of the pebbles? Maybe I'll just put 2-3 big pots and put some succulents or herbs. And what's the best way to secure these pots or will they be heavy enough and won't be blown away by strong winds?

[EricL]

Hi @frediynewbie 

Using square pots and succulents should work quite well and would be low maintenance. There are a few options for garden edging or you can use sleepers or H4 treated timber. I've placed a sample sketch to give you an idea of a possible way to arrange it.

If you wish to see it in another configuration, please let me know.

Eric

[Itai]

Hey @frediynewbie One edging product I think would be nice for your spot is this one: 

https://www.bunnings.com.au/whites-1180mm-garden-edging-strip_p3042362

It is pretty sturdy and will save you space as compared to timber sleepers. The key here is that you don't want anything flexible for any straight pieces (as I have learnt the hard way). 

I have a few ideas in my head as to what would look nice there (ranging from easy to hard ... simple topiary plants, hedging plants, a curved living fence, a pond garden) ... however, the view we've got is a little isolated. Would you mind sending a wide photo of the whole of your front yard (feel free to remove house numbers) so we can see what the other half of your front yard looks like.

Also, I definitely agree with others here saying speak to your neighbour if you can. You might come up with something you both like together, and there's even the potential for splitting the bill. Even if just to let them know, as it might look weird on their side with that small gap of dirt and they may appreciate covering that up in the process.

Regards

Itai