Decorating the driveway
By Satish Narula

COLLECTING numerous plants and then haphazardly placing them in the garden is not gardening. Gardening is a combination of both art and science. Only a person well-versed with plants, their requirements, flowering and fruit bearing habits and, of course, with artistic instincts could do justice to their placement.

To develop a feature in a garden is not a difficult job as the planning is very elastic in scope. What matters most is aftercare and maintenance. A feature that is neglected becomes an eyesore as a poorly maintained spot attracts attention at once.

In a garden there could be many features such as a waterfall, statues, paths, lily pool, cactus corner or a swing. No one ever pays attention to the driveway. At the most, what is suggested for a driveway is using different kinds of tiles or stones. The garden, for most people, starts from the lawn and the garden space always remains a constraint.

There are gardeners who plan judiciously. The garden area can be extended to any length. Every spot in the house can be used. See the accompanying picture — even the driveway has been decorated and the garden has been extended even upto a traditionally unused spot.

A bed right in the middle of the path, eight to 10 inches deep, is sufficient to create such an effect. The width of the bed, depending upon the width of the driveway, could be adjusted between one to two and a quarter feet. Before laying out the bed make sure your car can pass over it comfortably. The bed could be planted with a variety of ground cover plants like golden duranta, iresin, budelia, trades cantia, and various sedums.

The most important factor, however, is your regularity with trimming. Alongwith the ground cover plants you could use white riverstone, pebbles, marble or even marble chips for compartmentalisation. These could be adjusted especially at the end of the bed where the vehicle is usually stopped. You may face a problem of spilling oil or heat of the engine doing some damage to plants.

Remember, a good selection of plants and befitting placement gives the garden a unique look. You can achieve the maximum with a minimum strain on your purse.

This feature was published on December 5, 1999