| In creating a convenient, inviting, and attractive | | | | with that in mind. |
| entryway to your home and property, you should | | | | The driveway entrance should be wide enough to |
| first think about functionality and then plants and | | | | comfortably move in and out of. It's not required |
| materials later. With the main function of front | | | | but a lot of times it is desirable to also have a |
| yard landscaping generally being access, our first | | | | way to turn around inside the driveway. This is an |
| design focus would be how and where we enter | | | | added safety factor to keep from having to |
| and exit our homes. | | | | blindly back out onto busy streets. |
| To what extent you can plan the front yard may | | | | If you have room, a circular drive usually provides |
| be limited by some landscaping circumstances that | | | | the best access to entries along with the safety |
| you can't control. The size of your lot, how your | | | | factor of drive through. It also provides some |
| home faces the street, and property lines can all | | | | shape and an opportunity for landscaping inside of |
| be limiting factors. However, with some careful | | | | the outer circle of the driveway. |
| planning, you may be able to reach a medium of | | | | Many times when a complete semi-circle drive |
| functionality and beauty in the front. | | | | isn't possible, there may be room for a simple |
| By first laying out your needed or desired access | | | | cutout addition. This area can also be used as |
| paths, you could possibly be laying out the | | | | additional parking when needed. It doesn't |
| framework of your entire design. Not only will it | | | | necessarily need to be paved as it won't receive |
| take up a lot of space, but will also create shape, | | | | the same amount of use and traffic as the rest |
| areas to design around, and a visual direction for | | | | of the drive. |
| your thoughts. | | | | Simply widening the driveway in an area can |
| Generally, the most predominant access use is for | | | | provide additional parking as well as enough room |
| vehicles and parking. So our first focus should be | | | | to turn around. Again, this area doesn't have to |
| where we and our guests are going to park and | | | | be paved or totally improved. It just has to drain |
| drive in the front. Also, walkway access from | | | | well and support the weight of a car. |
| these areas to the front door, side door, or any | | | | By first addressing your vehicle access to your |
| other entry points of the home needs to be | | | | home, you'll have one necessary element taken |
| considered. | | | | care of and less area to have to have to plan for. |
| Most folks need a driveway that not only leads to | | | | Then by adding foot access from driveway areas |
| the home but also allows room for offstreet | | | | to the home, you'll possibly have the entire |
| guest parking. So if this is a needed or desired | | | | framework of your front yard landscaping |
| landscaping element, we should start designing | | | | created. |