If you’ve got a long driveway, you may be struggling to create an attractive entrance to your property. Afterall, the purpose of a driveway is merely to move vehicles to and from the road, not to provide a visual appeal – right? In reality, the appearance of your driveway landscaping should play a big role in planning too. Rural property owners often struggle with driveway landscaping ideas, so we’re here to help.
In this article we share 7 long driveway landscaping ideas to improve your property and its appearance.
Comparing driveway landscaping design with functionality
We all want an aesthetic driveway to compliment the house and give a good impression, but functionality is key. Your driveway should be large enough to suit wider vehicles and have sufficient parking space. Also consider if you require additional room for moving and storing other equipment such as a trailer or caravan.
It’s equally important to ensure effective drainage is in place. Perth and the surrounding semi-rural areas often receive heavy bouts of rainfall, so you’ll want to avoid puddles and flooding.
Keeping those points in mind, below we consider 7 driveway landscaping ideas.
7 Creative large driveway landscaping ideas
The key to a great looking property starts with the driveway. The driveway and its surrounds should reflect a mix of colours, both neutral hues, and some bright colours to catch the eye. The asphalt driveway is usually the neutral colour in the landscape, which means the surrounding scenery should feature more variety. Similarly, the most appealing driveway landscapes feature a blend of shapes and textures too.
Consider a flexible driveway shape
A driveway laid in a perfect straight line looks great if there’s sufficient features either side and the property is perfectly flat. If your property sits on any kind of slope or hill, you should consider adding some curves along the path. Asphalt is the ideal material for semi-rural properties that need a flexible driveway with curves or slopes. This is due to being laid at varying widths and shapes.
You may assume a direct driveway is most efficient, but there are some functional benefits to adopting other shapes. For example, a circle or round edge in the driveway may eliminate the need to reverse to turn around.
Birds eye view of a red asphalt driveway laid by NK Asphalt and featuring a showpiece roundabout.
Split driveway and garden pockets
If your property is wide enough, a split driveway looks great and provides some functional value. Each lane can be dedicated to a certain vehicle, or you could follow the road rules by sticking to the left.
Utilising a design such as this opens the door to other driveway landscaping options such as garden pockets between the lanes. A garden pocket or tree in the centre breaks up the neutral colours of the asphalt driveway and clearly separates the two sides.
Below is an example of these driveway landscaping ideas in practice.
Split asphalt driveway on a steep hill with a feature garden to guide the flow of traffic.
Gated entrance and fence
Another stunning addition that provides functionality is the addition of a gate and/or fence. An attractive gate makes for a grand entrance and gives the driveway an allure to drive on. Obviously, a gate serves a functional purpose of keeping unwanted traffic out, but it ought to provide a visual benefit too. Such a gate makes your property easy to find for visitors and enhances visibility at night.
Likewise, a fence along the driveway can give the entrance an impressive feel. A lowcut wood fence or similar ties into the surrounding driveway landscaping and shows a clear route. It also divides the driveway from the surrounding area, preventing vehicles or animals crossing the barrier.
Just look at how great this gated and fenced asphalt driveway is below.
New red asphalt driveway by NK Asphalt with a gated entrance and a stylish wood fence.
Kerbing
Concrete kerbs along an asphalt driveway really make the edge stand out which is just what you want. The contrast in colours provides a tidy finish and improves visibility. Kerbing also helps with draining water in some cases and prevents soil from falling onto the driveway.
NK Asphalt only uses 32mpa ready-mixed concrete and can add colour, if preferred.
Try adding small stones on the garden side of the kerb to create an aesthetic and practical walking space.
A semi mountable kerb improves the noticeability of the edge of a driveway and provides some drainage benefits.
Choosing the right plants
The best way to add some colour to your driveway landscaping is by including the right plants. This landscaping addition is largely personal preference, so express yourself with whatever style you desire. You may like a variety of colours, shapes, and sizes, or a consistent theme throughout.
We recommend including more pot plants closer to the house but off the driveway, so you can easily change or move them when needed. At the start of the driveway many Perth homeowners like larger trees. These add some privacy and help visitors to identify your driveway. If you like this idea, try trees or plants that grow up and not out, so they don’t block your view or access when exiting.
Red asphalt driveway with white kerbing and surrounded by lush gardens and large trees.
Sufficient entrance and house lighting
If your semi-rural street doesn’t have much lighting, you could integrate some solar powered globes into your gate. You may like to add little lamps all along your long driveway or just at the start and at the house. Either way, lighting makes the rest of the asphalt driveway landscaping more noticeable. Additionally, lights make a driveway safer and easier to navigate.
Something a little different?
Want to create a unique driveway landscape? Try implementing aspects that catch the eye!
Breaking up a garden bed with a large stone, garden bench, or a small statue creates a memorable feature. Perhaps you’d like to add some depth to the driveway landscaping by incorporating blocks to raise a garden. There are many ways to personalise your driveway and its surrounds, so get creative!
A new asphalt project featuring a showpiece roundabout and limestone blocks around the edge.
Asphalt driveway landscaping – we can help!
Designing your driveway landscaping can be an exciting process, but it’s important to get an expert to advise on the more technical aspects and NK Asphalt can liaise with your landscaper, if required.
NK Asphalt can assist you with planning the perfect driveway design to suit your needs inline with your property. For a large asphalt driveway greater than 150m2 in Perth or the surrounding semi-rural areas, contact NK Asphalt below.
We provide a free consultation, measure, and quote to help you in planning the perfect driveway.
