Garden Tour: A Dull Driveway is Totally Transformed
A plain gravel drive has been turned into a practical and pretty front garden
Victoria Harrison
22 July 2023
Editor, Houzz UK and Ireland
Front driveways can be tricky spaces to design. They usually have to fulfil several purposes, so bin storage, car parking and pathways can end up dictating the layout. But garden designer Simon Orchard took a creative approach with this urban parking area and created a space that combines practicality with planting, resulting in a garden that’s more than the sum of its parts.
Garden at a Glance
Who lives here? A couple and their grown-up children
Location Dulwich, south-east London
Size 64 sq m
Property A semi-detached Victorian house
Designer Simon Orchard Garden Design
Who lives here? A couple and their grown-up children
Location Dulwich, south-east London
Size 64 sq m
Property A semi-detached Victorian house
Designer Simon Orchard Garden Design
Before its transformation, the front garden was a rather unremarkable space. A gravel drive provided parking for two cars and there were two entrances from the pavement, with a small island bed dividing the two.
“The owners wanted to smarten up the space and increase the volume of planting, and they only needed room for one car,” Simon says. “Other than those requests, the space was a blank canvas to design.”
“The owners wanted to smarten up the space and increase the volume of planting, and they only needed room for one car,” Simon says. “Other than those requests, the space was a blank canvas to design.”
Because the house is in a conservation area, Simon had to run all redesign plans past The Dulwich Estate for approval before starting work, as any changes to boundaries, trees and front gardens had to be pre-approved.
One of the set rules of the estate is that any new front garden has to be 50 percent planting, so this had a big influence on the design, as Simon had to find a way to bring in extra planting while still retaining a parking space. “I’m a plant person, though, so that’s always the focus for me anyway,” he says.
Find reviewed garden designers in your area and see photos of their previous projects on Houzz.
One of the set rules of the estate is that any new front garden has to be 50 percent planting, so this had a big influence on the design, as Simon had to find a way to bring in extra planting while still retaining a parking space. “I’m a plant person, though, so that’s always the focus for me anyway,” he says.
Find reviewed garden designers in your area and see photos of their previous projects on Houzz.
“As well as the planting, I had to consider space for parking one car, and the owners obviously had to get to the front door, so these were the main three factors to work with,” Simon says.
“I started with the parking,” he continues. “I took measurements of the owners’ car and realised it would only fit in at a diagonal angle, so that influenced the angled design of the paved parking area. The owners also needed enough space around the car for easy access, so this had to be factored in, too.”
“I started with the parking,” he continues. “I took measurements of the owners’ car and realised it would only fit in at a diagonal angle, so that influenced the angled design of the paved parking area. The owners also needed enough space around the car for easy access, so this had to be factored in, too.”
Simon chose a grey Yorkstone for the steps and light grey granite for the paving, as he was keen to provide a cool contrast to the warm red brick exterior of the house.
More: How to Choose the Best Flooring for Your Patio
More: How to Choose the Best Flooring for Your Patio
The existing red brick steps leading up to the front door.
A restrained colour palette is key to the success of this scheme. “Once I’d chosen the granite paving, I immediately felt a white and green planting palette would work well with this space,” Simon says.
“I also love grey and green – I think it’s a lovely garden colour palette – and the combination provides a cool contrast to the exterior of the house.”
“I also love grey and green – I think it’s a lovely garden colour palette – and the combination provides a cool contrast to the exterior of the house.”
The garden is east-facing, so it gets the sun in the morning and shade in the afternoon. As such, the plants chosen are all suited to semi-shade conditions. Of those, the ones that prefer a little more sun were positioned at the end that catches the most sunlight.
Yew balls (Taxus baccata) line the path and were planted as an alternative to box.
Tall spires of Italian cypress (Cupressus sempervirens) were planted to add height and also to echo the spire of the church directly across the road.
Tall spires of Italian cypress (Cupressus sempervirens) were planted to add height and also to echo the spire of the church directly across the road.
Another consideration of the design was water run-off. “It was important to ensure there would be no flash flooding issues with water running off the drive onto the footpath and road,” Simon says.
This was another requirement from The Dulwich Estate but, as Simon points out, “Any good landscape designer will make sure a driveway is flood compliant.”
This was another requirement from The Dulwich Estate but, as Simon points out, “Any good landscape designer will make sure a driveway is flood compliant.”
That said, drainage did prove a bit of a challenge on this particular site. Although the house is at the top of a hill, the owners believe it’s situated on the source of a spring. To deal with the damp conditions, Simon had to dig the planting beds extra deep and add a gravel base.
In this bed, Hydrangea arborescens ‘Annabelle’ adds a shot of white among all the greenery, which includes the ferns Polystichum setiferum and Blechnum spicant.
In this bed, Hydrangea arborescens ‘Annabelle’ adds a shot of white among all the greenery, which includes the ferns Polystichum setiferum and Blechnum spicant.
Small pebble channels were included as a design element to add interest and break up the big expanse of paving, but they also serve as extra drainage.
More: 7 Planting Tips for Novice Gardeners
More: 7 Planting Tips for Novice Gardeners
Because Simon removed an old lime tree, he had to add a new one to comply with The Dulwich Estate guidelines. The tree he chose, an Amelanchier lamarckii, is like a multi-stem umbrella and makes a pretty decorative statement at the front of the garden.
“This tree is often referred to as ‘the garden designers’ favourite’, and with good reason,” Simon says, “as it produces abundant blossom in spring, gives a nice dappled light in summer, and will also provide autumn colour.”
“This tree is often referred to as ‘the garden designers’ favourite’, and with good reason,” Simon says, “as it produces abundant blossom in spring, gives a nice dappled light in summer, and will also provide autumn colour.”
Just visible at the back of this photo is a rather unusual feature that has now become something of a trademark for Simon – a doggy foot wash.
“The owners’ dogs often traipsed mud through the house, so we designed an outdoor foot wash to clean them up. The owners were happy with it and I’ve actually added this to another front garden since,” he says.
Tell us…
What do you think of Simon’s design for this front garden? Let us know in the Comments.
“The owners’ dogs often traipsed mud through the house, so we designed an outdoor foot wash to clean them up. The owners were happy with it and I’ve actually added this to another front garden since,” he says.
Tell us…
What do you think of Simon’s design for this front garden? Let us know in the Comments.
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Love the drainage idea.
Lovely balance of tidy and creativity. The pebble channels are my favourite.
Love the doggy/human foot bath if one can have drainage
However where are the bins now kept?