Are you looking for an opportunity to give your home a facelift? While your driveway is important for functionality, they don’t always look the most eye appealing. However, with a bit of work and creative landscaping, you can turn your driveway into something both aesthetically pleasing and fully functional for you and your guests.
Landscaping is a great way to introduce your personality into a space. By using different materials and designs, you can convey any style you want, from a minimalistic or modern look to a homier and more rustic cottage vibe. The options are endless!
In this guide, we are going to look at 24 different driveway landscaping ideas to help inspire your next project. We have included different size spaces, styles, and materials to ensure options that appeal to everyone.
Is your dream driveway missing? Consider combining a couple of these options or making the changes necessary to make one of these options your own.
Let’s get started…
Table of Contents
Multiple Structured Gardens
Many homeowners love the look of a well-designed, structured garden. Use your favorite shrubbery, flowers, smaller trees or combine them all to create the perfect accent for your home. To create a more uniform final look, build these gardens out to cover more than just the sides of your driveway. By including structured gardens with similar plants or colors alongside the driveway, by your front walk, and across the front of the house, you can tie the whole space together beautifully.
Tiered or Multi-Level Gardens
If you have a larger yard and enjoy gardening, why not fully embrace your passion with decorative tiered gardens. Don’t be afraid to get creative with this project. You can mix and match different plants and flowers across your garden, using a color palette to tie everything together. There are many ways to separate your gardens from one tier to the next. It depends on your style. Some examples include using brickwork, large decorative stones, smaller wooden barriers, or simply using the plants themselves to define each space.
Introduce a Pergola or Seating Area (or 2)
Do you enjoy entertaining in your home? If you’re looking for a way to welcome others to not only visit your home but to stay for a while and hang out, you could include a seating area or pergola right off the driveway. By using the same driveway material throughout the driveway itself and the seating space, whether that’s asphalt or concrete, you can create a professional-looking and unified final project that brings your home’s curbside appeal to the next level.
Create a Country Canopy with Trees
It’s a classic look straight out of the movies, but classic doesn’t mean that it’s out of style! You can create your romantic pathway into your home by planting trees to create a beautiful canopy with their branches. Not only will this nostalgic look bring a smile to the face of every visitor to drive up to your house, but it also works to create a little added privacy in your front yard by blocking the space beyond the driveway itself from the road.
The only catch? Planting a tree generally happens when trees are smaller in size (otherwise, they are quite difficult to transport and transplant). It means that you will have to plant younger trees and settle just for a small wall of trees until they grow large enough for the full effect. It is a long-term plan!
Palm Trees and Tropical Plants for A Vacation Experience
Are you itching for a tropical vacation? In that case, why not create your tropical oasis at home? If you live in a place with the climate to support their growth, you can landscape your driveway and front yard with a variety of tropical plants and palm trees to give yourself that vacation feeling every time that you return home. These plants are often brightly colored, providing a fun and eye-catching addition to any home.
Beautiful Sprawling Flower Gardens
There are few sights as beautiful as a field of flowers. Whether you are an avid gardener or simply love the look of flowers, this may be the perfect solution for your driveway. Those that enjoy gardening can take the time to plan out their yard, while homeowners looking for a low-maintenance landscaping option can opt for wildflowers.
It will create a beautiful field of flowers, perfect for welcoming your guests or creating stunning driveway pictures. If you are interested in a more professional appearance, consider blocking colors or a specific plant type.
Large Potted Plants or Container Gardens
Renters or those who are opposed to making any permanent changes to their yard may be interested in the benefits of container gardening. What’s container gardening? Rather than digging into the ground in your front yard or along the sides of your driveway, you take advantage of decorative pots and planters. It is a great opportunity to include a garden element when working towards some eye-catching curb appeal. You can even get creative with your container gardening choices and add some vegetables or herbs, giving you landscaping that serves another great purpose for your family.
Get Creative with Different Types of Greenery
If you are looking for driveway ideas but find yourself torn between the classic look of shrubbery and the more creative look of more exotic or unique greenery, here’s an option for you! It is one of the driveway ideas on this list that would work for driveways of all sizes. By choosing your favorite trees, shrubs, and other greenery, you can create a unique (and low-upkeep) option that looks both professional and well-maintained.
Combine Mulch and Low-Lying Plants
Not everyone is excited by the appearance of tall bushes, shrubs, and plants. If you prefer a more subtle and natural look, you may be interested in sticking with lower-lying plants and vegetation. By combining this option with mulch, gravel, or other decorative options, you can create a subtle and professional-looking garden. To add that final touch, consider framing your garden with stones or very short garden fencing.
Back to the Basics with Some Simple Shrubbery
Another simple and more traditional approach is to use bushes or shrubs that have been pruned or trimmed to match your style. It may include a squared-off or boxy look, like those featured in the picture or something more unique. Shrub artistry and bush shaping is a great way to give your landscaping a personal touch. For inspiration, check out some of the beautiful and detailed topiaries that artists have created and consider how they look along your driveway. Don’t be afraid to think outside the box.
Include A Narrow Garden Along the Fence
If you are working for limited space, you may find yourself questioning whether there are driveway ideas that you can incorporate. While you won’t able to build out large flower beds, there are some smaller plants and flowers you can use to create a narrow garden space on the side of your driveway along a fence, against a building, or working with whatever other space restrictions that you may be faced with. If you want to include trees, check into the size species will grow and how mature trees may cause complications for you long-term.Â
Subtle Stones and Wildflowers Create A More Natural Look
The term landscaping often triggers images of elaborate and overly manicured gardens and spaces. You can create a more natural-looking space if that is more reflective of your personality. By incorporating wildflowers, natural stone, and basic greenery that is local to your area, you can finish off your driveway in a way that is more subtle while still taking the final look to the next level.
Frame A Tree with Shrubbery for A Structured Garden Space
In many city centers, the houses are built closer together with limited space for yards and landscaping. The good news is that while limited space can influence the options available, it doesn’t have to hold you back from creating something that looks well-put-together, professional, and reflective of your family. If you are landscaping a small front garden space along your driveway, consider framing the space with bushes or other greenery. A tree in the center will help to make the space look larger by drawing the eye up instead of focusing on the smaller surface area. In the space between the bushes and the tree, you can customize your space with flowers, bright colors, garden ornaments, and more.
Use the Placement of Grass for Creative Landscaping
Before you lay down grass seed to cover your front yard, consider using the placement of grass as a fun, low-cost, and low-maintenance way to landscape your driveway area. Use grass, gravel, or mulch to create geometric designs that frame your driveway in a fun and unique way. It can also be coupled with nearly any other landscaping idea on this list, adding in garden spaces, pathways, or other accent pieces. It is also a great option for those with a large yard space that isn’t interested in putting the time and effort into maintaining large or elaborate gardens.
Gravel with A Selection of Plants and Trees
Most yards showcase a lush, green bed of grass, but if that doesn’t match your vibe, don’t feel like you have to settle! Many homeowners are now looking outside the box and covering their yard with less traditional options such as gravel. It is the ultimate low-maintenance landscaping option, although it can be a most costly investment at the beginning. You can break up the gravel by adding a small garden, strategically placed plants, or a tree.
Smaller Flower Gardens with A Path to Your Entertaining Space
We already talked about the idea of creating an entertaining space or seating area right off the driveway, but this isn’t always feasible. If you prefer to entertain guests in a side or back yard area, why not incorporate a decorative pathway that guides any visitors in that direction. It can then be accented and punctuated with small flower gardens, showcasing your favorite colors.
Small Decorative Center Garden
If you have a larger or overly wide driveway, you can break the space up with a small central garden. It is a great way to turn a large driveway into a circular driveway, which is a function that many homeowners love. Use larger items such as a stone or tree to make sure that your garden is fully visible to oncoming drivers, preventing them from driving over some of the lower-lying plants accidentally. If you want to incorporate a driveway alarm, a tree in a central garden like this is a great solution. Create unity by using similar colors and plants in your center garden and other gardens around the property.
Elaborate Circular Driveway with A Center Garden
If you have a larger or more elaborate property, you can take your center garden to the next level. Decorative edging and fencing will create a defined garden space, while taller flowers and plants sit high enough to be easily seen by any visitors or passing motorists. It is also a great way to incorporate more lighting in those large driveway spaces by incorporating light posts into the fencing, focusing the light on the driveway itself.
Simple Entry Garden
Rather than focusing your landscaping efforts on the full length of the driveway, you can create a single garden right at the entranceway to offer a fun accent point on your property. It is the perfect place for any signage if running an at-home business or to showcase decorative address signs showing your family name or house number. It’s also a great way to protect your service box or other items that may be near the road and at risk of being hit if a driver were to cut the corner pulling into your driveway.
Create A Path with Decorative Stepping Stones
Decorative stepping stones are a fun way to add a unique accent to any larger garden space. Brick pavers can create a more professional look, while natural stone can be used to create something a little more rustic or outdoorsy in design. It is also a great way to incorporate young children into your landscaping efforts.
Using a small amount of concrete, fill a disposable foil pie tin. Your children can then carve designs into the concrete or add embellishments such as small crystal stones or mosaic tiles. Allow the concrete to dry entirely before removing the pie tin to reveal your new concrete stepping stone. Your path can be made from all handmade stones or incorporate your child’s art among standard stones.
For A Modern Look, Create Block-Framed Accent Gardens
For more modern landscaping or landscaping that works with a fully paved or bricked area, you can build raised garden spaces with a block or stone frame. This technique can be used for small accent gardens, or larger garden spaces, depending on what you plant. If you haven’t already paved the area, consider blocking off your garden spaces and framing them out retaining the natural ground below. It will offer additional room for roots to extend down into the ground.
Use One Large Plant As A Simple Accent
The concept of landscaping may seem like a big commitment at first or even overwhelming for those that aren’t sure that they want to do something elaborate or over the top. Luckily, there is no rule saying you must do a certain amount of work to be considered landscaping. You can choose a single large plant or tree that fits your aesthetic and make a big impact without taking on too much work. Not only does this minimize the planning and work required to complete your landscaping, but it’s also incredibly budget-friendly. It is particularly common among those with a more decorative style of a driveway, such as a brick paver driveway, backyard stone driveway, or a concrete paver driveway as it allows the style of the driveway to shine.
Mix Trees and Flowers for A Rustic Cottage Vibe
One aesthetic that has been gaining significantly in popularity as of late is the cottage core aesthetic. Focusing on a more rustic or woodsy appearance, these houses incorporate a lot of greenery and plant life, trees, and potted plants on various surfaces. The result is a house that feels like you are in a peaceful forest in the middle of nowhere, even if you live in the city. If this look appeals to you, be prepared for the work involved to upkeep all your gardens and plant life moving forward. However, we believe that it’s worth it!
Light Your Way with Solar Lights
Finally, if you live somewhere where the light may be minimal each night, you may be searching for a solution to brighten up your driveway. While you could install traditional lighting and power it every night, the additional charges on your utility bills may turn you off using those lights any more than necessary. Instead, why not harness the free power of the sun and add solar lights to your landscaping plans. Often purchased and used to light up walkways, garden solar lights are also effective as a driveway landscaping option, and there are many different styles available to choose from.
Choosing the Best Driveway Landscaping for Your Home
With so many different styles, designs, and opportunities, there are driveway landscaping ideas that will fit any space or budget. If this is your first time doing DIY landscaping, start smaller with a basic garden bed or a simple pathway. You can always add to it later. It will help you avoid feeling overwhelmed when the project is underway.
Take some time to plan out your landscaping project before you get started. This is your opportunity to draw out a few options, ask friends and family for advice and settle on the aesthetic that you are going to create. Purchase all your supplies in advance, and don’t be afraid to get creative. Most importantly, have fun with it!
