How can I improve my driveway so that I can turn around when I come out from garage

by Susan Meldrom
(Lexington, SC)

Our home has a long driveway. There is not enough room for a car to turn around from the garage to the road. There is also not enough parking spot for visitors. Is there a way that we can modify our current driveway to a workable condition?

Also we like to update our front yard garden. We like to have dwarf boxwood two tiers to be our foundation plant ( see attached boxwood pic 1 and 2). Wondering if you have any recommendations to improve our curb side appearance.

Thanks,
Susan

Hi Susan,

Would you have room to create a parking area which could also act as a back up area off the driveway on the right? Parking spaces are 8'6" wide by 18' long. You can landscape it to flow with the landscaping by the house. Use low landscaping on the street size, so guests can see the parking spaces. From the picture, it looks like the parking area would be across from the front sidewalk which would make it easy for guests entry to the front door.
Check in your area about the boxwood blight. It has reached VA and is killing boxwood in large numbers. The dwarf boxwood is one that is not resistant to the blight. Japanese holly are plants that resemble boxwood without the disease and insect problems. May I suggest getting some height off the corners of the house with small flowering trees. You can then put some dwarf shrubs around them for color and interest. Use plants that work with the spaces along your house. For example, a taller plant on either side of the window and shrubs that wont' grown taller than the window sill under the windows. Use an accent plant on both sides of the steps to the porch. Keep the plants low in front of the porch, so they don't grow over the porch foundation. Your background shrubs cant' be too tall because your windows are low to the ground. Your second layer has be a plant that will stay low to give you the height variation you want. There are some nice evergreen ground covers that you may like.
Thanks for submitting your questions. I hope this information helps you. Nancy