I really don't think you have room there for anything other than a fence. I know photos can be deceptive, but it looks pretty tight, and having anything growing next to that wall means getting past it to get in the car, which also might be very difficult, unless there's room to park the car further to the left side. You'd need at least a couple of feet for the planting, and another couple of feet for a person to get past. If you really want some greenery, I think the ivy on a frame would be the easiest in a container. They cope with all sorts of weather, and will manage being dried out for a while as well as the opposite conditions. That's a very important factor for evergreens in restricted spaces anyway. Rain doesn't get into them easily, and plants will dry out very readily in summer. It's then very difficult to rehydrate them, so you're likely to get failures very quickly. Sorry if that's a bit negative, but it pays to really consider everything before spending money, especially if a budget's tight.
Is there room on the left of the car to have some planters? That might be a better option to give a bit of colour, and provide a bit of privacy.
It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
One more thing to bear in mind, brick paving like that can be very slippery when wet and absolutely impassable when frosted over. If you are watering a trough daily (as you would need to), there will be run-off through the drainage holes which will encourage moss to grow if there is any fully shaded bit.
I can understand your dad feeling exposed and the need for something to soften both their view and the general environment, but that has to be balanced against practicalities such as wheelchair/car access and how easy it would be to move heavy planters, even on industrial wheels.
I’m in agreement with others that a decorative fence is probably your best solution bordering the road. I wonder if it might be possible to devise hinged or sliding panels that could be folded back to allow egress and possibly even second car access? That’s beginning to sound expensive though and I think you might have to compromise on the latter and park on the street.
I see the house next door is for sale, maybe the next owners would want privacy and might be amenable to a shared trellis or even decide to plant a hedge their side.
If it’s possible to introduce some plants in permanent planters, say in square or round planters at each corner, or either side of the front door, that combined with a fence out front might suffice to soften the space and provide a feeling of privacy.
It’s also easy to underestimate how often and much water it takes to establish young plants. Is there an outside tap and hose out to facilitate that or would heavy watering cans needed to be filled and hauled from the back?
Security is another factor, planters might need to be weighed or bolted down if theft is an issue in the area. On wheels, they might just be merrily wheeled off!
Mountainous Northern Catalunya, Spain. Hot summers, cold winters.
Another thing to consider is the road itself. How busy is it and how much would a fence or hedge cut down visibility for people exiting the driveway? The neighbours would certainly have reduced visibility when backing out onto their side of the road.
Or you could have a fence like this...a fence of varying heights, from small at the roadside( to help coming out of drive) gradually getting bigger towards the back ( ie, the front of the car).
or could you do something like this( maybe knocking up something similar using those metal boxes that a previous poster @Joyce Goldenlily mentioned to anchor in the posts on your side )...
If the wall belongs to the house next-door you should really ask permission before attaching anything to it (or to the building itself of course). When I wrote my previous post I was thinking about regular semi-detached or terraced houses where their fronts are at the same level and you could attach stuff to yours just inside the boundary.
I like @Loxely 's fence but be careful not to obstruct the view for backing the car out of the drive (on either side). You might be better off with the last panel sloping down to wall height.
Doncaster, South Yorkshire. Soil type: sandy, well-drained
@Fairygirl No need to apologise at all! Better to sound negative but realistic, rather than waste time & money on something that probably won't work- I really appreciate it.
@ViewAhead@Nollie Feel very lucky to have access to everyone's advice here because these factors- frost, moss, outside tap & need to regularly water new plants- are things I hadn't thought of either. There's about 3 feet to the left of the car which we worry about eating into & losing wheelchair accessibility. Parents were hoping any new neighbours might be more understanding about the idea of attaching something like window boxes to the wall, however the house has been on the market for a year, so we continue to wait!
You can tell how little I know about homes & gardens...I had no idea about the fence-in-metal-boxes style that @Joyce Goldenlily shared- thank you!
@Loxley ....this is amazing! Looks like consensus is that the best option is a design like this, with @Joyce Goldenlily's base and, as @Ceres@JennyJ have said, a slope slope away nearest the road, like in the picture @Songbird-2 has shared.
Wow, what an amazing forum this is...everyone is so kind and thoughtful I really am so grateful that people have put such care & consideration in sharing their ideas
Posts
If you really want some greenery, I think the ivy on a frame would be the easiest in a container. They cope with all sorts of weather, and will manage being dried out for a while as well as the opposite conditions. That's a very important factor for evergreens in restricted spaces anyway. Rain doesn't get into them easily, and plants will dry out very readily in summer. It's then very difficult to rehydrate them, so you're likely to get failures very quickly.
Sorry if that's a bit negative, but it pays to really consider everything before spending money, especially if a budget's tight.
Is there room on the left of the car to have some planters? That might be a better option to give a bit of colour, and provide a bit of privacy.
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
I see the house next door is for sale, maybe the next owners would want privacy and might be amenable to a shared trellis or even decide to plant a hedge their side.
If it’s possible to introduce some plants in permanent planters, say in square or round planters at each corner, or either side of the front door, that combined with a fence out front might suffice to soften the space and provide a feeling of privacy.
It’s also easy to underestimate how often and much water it takes to establish young plants. Is there an outside tap and hose out to facilitate that or would heavy watering cans needed to be filled and hauled from the back?
Security is another factor, planters might need to be weighed or bolted down if theft is an issue in the area. On wheels, they might just be merrily wheeled off!
Maybe a slatted fence, and create a planting pocket for a climber. You can haunch the edge of the gap, to hold the paving in place, with concrete.
or could you do something like this( maybe knocking up something similar using those metal boxes that a previous poster @Joyce Goldenlily mentioned to anchor in the posts on your side )...
@ViewAhead @Nollie Feel very lucky to have access to everyone's advice here because these factors- frost, moss, outside tap & need to regularly water new plants- are things I hadn't thought of either.
There's about 3 feet to the left of the car which we worry about eating into & losing wheelchair accessibility. Parents were hoping any new neighbours might be more understanding about the idea of attaching something like window boxes to the wall, however the house has been on the market for a year, so we continue to wait!
Thank you all so much!
@Loxley ....this is amazing!
Wow, what an amazing forum this is...everyone is so kind and thoughtful