Design Solutions

How can I plant up my front-garden parking area?

LITTLE BY little, our front gardens are disappearing. What used to be the pride and joy of many homeowners – a neighbourly showcase for our gardening prowess – has gradually become a sad but necessary parking space.

If you live on a busy street where parking spaces are as rare as hen’s teeth, or where residents’ parking permits cost the same as a family holiday, then of course you’ll be tempted to convert your front garden into a driveway.

Such is the scale of the problem that the RHS launched a ‘Greening Grey Britain’ campaign in 2015. This highlighted how paving over our frontages not only contibutes to flooding, it also leads to poorer air quality – hard surfaces can’t absorb dust particles as well as leafy green ones can. And of course green space is especially precious for urban wildlife and our mental wellbeing, wherever we live.

Fortunately, with a bit of creativity and the right plants, off-street parking doesn’t have to compromise the aesthetic appeal of our front gardens. The most effective way to create a parking space, using a minimum of paving, is to lay parallel tracks of pavers into the garden, positioned where the vehicle’s wheels will run. These pavers must be strong enough for vehicular use, with each track typically 30-60cm (12-24in) wide. The wider they are, the easier it will be to drive onto them without accidentally crushing any plants.

In this design, the pavers help delineate the parking area from the rest of the garden, which is covered with weed-proof membrane then topped with slate chippings. By simply cutting a hole in the membrane and planting through it, you can grow a wide range of plants that will spill over the chippings for a relaxed, modern look. The effect here is a bit like an ‘urban coastal’ garden, with formal topiary elements around the edges.

With a backbone of evergreen shrubs and groundcover (see over) a well-designed front garden doesn’t take too much looking after. Gravel gardens can be ideal because they’re easy to care for and will stay looking neat. However, don’t forget that when you’re out looking after your front garden plants, it’s a great way to get to know the neighbours!

Residents parking permits can cost the same as a family holiday

Tie in hard landscaping materials with the colour of the house. Here, grey pavers are used for the tyre tracks, and red brick path pavers echo the house bricks. Loose slate chippings or gravel mingle with the planting.

A mix of permeable pavers, chippings and planting creates a variety of textures, for added interest. It’s best not to lay gravel right up to the door or it will get trodden through the house.

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Plant up the vertical Climbers can be trained up the front of the house. They take up little room at ground level yet provide colourful or scented flowers, a wildlife habitat and can even protect your house from summer heat and winter cold. Use colour Add a curve Front gardens with a driveway often suffer from being rather straight – both in shape and style! Adding a curved drive that branches off as a path to the front door creates some movement and energy. Think about texture Choose easy plants Low-maintenance evergreen plants in various shades of green and white mean you won’t have to tend the garden very often. Lay parallel pavers A run of robust parallel pavers will indicate your parking area, with tyre tracks between 30-60cm (12-24in) wide to allow for less experienced drivers and parking practice! Create height Even a small space needs a bit of height, so use a single small tree or large shrub as an attractive focal point. This viburnum offers year-round interest and much-needed privacy. Green up your boundary Replace a front fence with an evergreen hedge to help trap traffic dust, improve air quality and reduce pollution. They’re also great for wildlife, and will create privacy too.