| To create inviting, attractive, and easy entryway | | | | enough to comfortably drive in and out of. It may |
| to your home and property, functionality of the | | | | be desirable to also have a way to turn around |
| landscape should be your first concern. Plants and | | | | inside the driveway. Having a turn around area is |
| other elements should be secondary concerns. | | | | an added safety factor to keep from having to |
| And since the main function of front yard | | | | blindly back out onto busy streets. |
| landscaping is generally access to the home, our | | | | If you have enough space, a circular drive is |
| first design focus would be how and where are | | | | usually the best access to entries along with the |
| we going to enter and exit our homes. | | | | safety factor of drive through. It also provides an |
| To what extent you can plan landscaping the | | | | opportunity for creativity as you can create |
| front yard may be limited by some factors that | | | | some design on the inside of the outer circle of |
| you can’t control. The size of your lot, how | | | | the driveway. |
| your home faces the street, and property lines | | | | If a complete semi-circle drive isn’t possible, |
| can all be limiting factors. Careful planning and | | | | you may have room for a regular drive with a |
| consideration of these factors will help you reach | | | | simple cutout addition. This cutout can also be |
| a medium of functionality and beauty in the front. | | | | used as additional parking when needed. It |
| I know that this seems basic and obvious but | | | | doesn’t need to be paved or even the sam |
| many times folks simply just don’t know | | | | material as the rest of the drive as it won’t |
| where to start or go with their design. So as a | | | | receive the same amount of use as the rest of |
| starting point, by first laying out your needed | | | | the drive. |
| access paths, you could possibly be laying out the | | | | Simply widening the driveway in an area can |
| framework of your entire design. Not only will | | | | provide additional parking as well as enough room |
| laying out these areas take up a lot of space, but | | | | to turn around. Again, this area doesn’t have |
| it will also create shape, areas to design around, | | | | to be totally improved. It just has to drain well |
| and a visual direction for your ideas. | | | | and support the weight of a vehicle. |
| Usually, the most dominant access use in the | | | | By first addressing your vehicle access to your |
| front yard is for vehicles and parking. So we’ll | | | | home, you’ll be taking care of a large portion |
| determine where we and our guests are going to | | | | of the front yard design. Then by adding |
| park, drive, and turn around. Also, we’ll decide | | | | sidewalks and other foot access from driveways |
| where our walkways, sidewalks, and paths will | | | | to the home, you’ll possibly have the entire |
| lead from these areas to the home. | | | | framework of your front yard landscaping |
| Your driveway should not only lead to entry | | | | created. And then deciding on secondary design |
| points but should also allow for off street parking. | | | | elements such as plants and ground covers will be |
| The entrance of the driveway should be wide | | | | a much smaller task and much easier to visualize. |