Park your car in your garden!
GARDEN DESIGN
Garden designers Lesley Hegarty and Robert Webber show how easy it is
Hard standing for cars and garage facilities are often not the most attractive of household utilities. If you have acres of space it can be a question of out of sight and out of mind, screened by shrubberies and a winding drive, with deliciously planted borders on either side.
But for the rest of us ordinary mortals where space is tight, we can’t all afford a car parking turntable, although they are cheaper than you’d think.
Now forget the two tracks of concrete slabs with tarmac in between. These days car parking can be a bit more street wise. The first step is to integrate these facilities into your scheme for the whole garden and property by using similar paving materials, plants and colours to those used elsewhere. In more rural locations it is often visually helpful to use the local stone.
If you have a garage, consider painting the door and your front door a subtle colour. Maybe choose one to harmonise with your neighbours so that your garage does not stand out. Climbers can also help soften the impact of a garage, again choosing one that is perhaps already on your house to create a helpful homogeneity.
A basic parking space needs to be 2.4m by 4.8m. More space will of course be required if you need to do any more than drive in and reverse out. It is well worth using the cleared space to park and attempting some dummy runs before you finalise the size of the area, let alone embark on the finish. Less haste more speed!
Design wise think laterally with regard to the siting of any parking area. Does it need to be in front of the house or even parallel to the house or drive? Sometimes a diagonal approach (and indeed in terms of the garden design as a whole) may enable your car to be more discreetly located within your property. A suitably planted pergola overhead can also help soften the impact of having a car parked in your garden.
A stepped edge for any hard standing will improve the look of the space, allow for sympathetic planting and give good access for getting in and out of the car. Bands of different coloured setts laid horizontally across the drive detract from the standard tyre treads leading from gate to house or garage.
Design wise think laterally with regard to the siting of any parking area
There are numerous products out there, including some newer ones such as resin bound gravel. However, ordinary gravel is one of the easiest and cheapest ways of creating parking space and even a drive if the slope is not too steep. Cellular mats help to some extent with excessive movement. A porous membrane beneath will stop weeds growing through and you can also plant through it to soften the area where the car wheels are apt not to go. In addition, using a gravel mulch elsewhere in this area will create a pleasing unity and a seamless approach.
Gravel is also permeable, an important factor given the new regulations to stop widespread flooding which require all non- porous paved areas of over five square metres in front gardens to have planning permission. This shouldn’t complicate matters unduly as there are already many choices of permeable paving available, and any pavers or concrete blocks laid without mortar are regarded as permeable. It is worth getting such surfaces installed by a reputable company or locally recommended contractor for a smart finish and longevity.
Don’t forget health and safety. Surfaces should be non slip and ensure clear lines of vision for both parking and driving out.
So, a parking area need not be a dull and ugly space, and if you adopt some of our suggestions you will be well on your way to creating a practical yet aesthetically pleasing and integral part of your garden.
Lesley Hegarty and Robert Webber
www.hegartywebberpartnership.com
Country Gardener
37
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