Driveway Landscaping Ideas: Entrance Planting and Pavers

Getting it right

Deal with the water first. Many towns now limit how much of a lot can be paved or have stormwater rules for new driveways, and fixing drainage later is expensive. Keep parked cars off the approach to the front door so arriving on foot still feels like arriving. Break up a large expanse with a band of cobbles or a planted strip every few yards. And plant only tough, low things along the edges, because car doors, road salt and reversing wheels will find anything precious.

Before and after

Top: before. Bottom: after. AI-generated illustrations of the idea; a design made from your own photo will look different.

Before and after of a mailbox on a plain lawn by the driveway, then surrounded by a stone-edged bed of roses, catmint and black-eyed Susans — A weekend project at the end of the driveway: a stone-edged bed around the mailbox.

How to plan it

Size it properly. A single car needs a driveway about 10 to 12 feet (3–3.7 m) wide, and two cars side by side about 20 to 24 feet (6–7.3 m). If you often back out onto a busy street, a turnaround space is worth more than any planting.

Edge the driveway with a band of contrasting material, such as granite cobbles or clay pavers, which makes even plain asphalt or concrete look finished. A planted strip between the driveway and the front walk, or a wide bed at the mouth of the driveway, separates cars from people and frames the entrance.

Leave a clear strip about 2 feet (60 cm) wide along the edges for snow piles and car doors, with only low groundcovers in it, and put taller plants such as a crabapple or a hornbeam hedge farther back. Low path or bollard lights along the edge help at night without glaring into the house.

Plants that work

Botanical names come first so you can order the right plant anywhere. Heights are for mature plants in the ground.
Plant	Type	Light	Water	Height	Hardy to
European hornbeamCarpinus betulus	Tree · Deciduous	Partial shade	Moderate	5–49 ft (1.5–15 m)	−22 °F / −30 °C
Common boxwoodBuxus sempervirens	Shrub · Evergreen	Partial shade	Moderate	1–10 ft (0.3–3 m)	−4 °F / −20 °C
English lavenderLavandula angustifolia	Shrub · Evergreen	Full sun	Low	16–28 in (40–70 cm)	−4 °F / −20 °C
Creeping thymeThymus serpyllum	Groundcover · Evergreen	Full sun	Low	2–4 in (5–10 cm)	−22 °F / −30 °C
Blue fescueFestuca glauca	Grass · Evergreen	Full sun	Low	8–12 in (20–30 cm)	−22 °F / −30 °C
Bearberry cotoneasterCotoneaster dammeri	Groundcover · Evergreen	Full sun	Low	8–12 in (20–30 cm)	−13 °F / −25 °C
Boxleaf honeysuckleLonicera pileata	Shrub · Evergreen	Partial shade	Low	20–31 in (50–80 cm)	−4 °F / −20 °C
Bigroot geraniumGeranium macrorrhizum	Groundcover · Semi-evergreen	Partial shade	Low	12–16 in (30–40 cm)	−22 °F / −30 °C
Panicle hydrangeaHydrangea paniculata	Shrub · Deciduous	Full sun	Moderate	5–8 ft (1.5–2.5 m)	−22 °F / −30 °C
Japanese hollyIlex crenata	Shrub · Evergreen	Partial shade	Moderate	2–8 ft (0.6–2.5 m)	−4 °F / −20 °C
White stonecropSedum album	Succulent · Evergreen	Full sun	Low	2–6 in (5–15 cm)	−22 °F / −30 °C
CrabappleMalus 'Evereste'	Tree · Deciduous	Full sun	Moderate	10–16 ft (3–5 m)	−22 °F / −30 °C

Surfaces and materials

Granite cobbles
Clay pavers
Resin-bound gravel
Decomposed granite
Galvanized steel edging
Path lighting
Brick wall

Works well when

Curb appeal and resale matter
You want low maintenance
The ground stays wet after rain
It gets sun for most of the day
It has to look good in winter

Think twice when

The budget is tight
You want to grow food
It is shaded for most of the day

Common questions

What's the cheapest driveway surface?

Gravel, by a wide margin, followed by asphalt; concrete costs more, and pavers or cobbles the most. Gravel needs topping up and raking and is harder to clear of snow.

What plants tolerate road salt?

Low, tough plants like white stonecrop, blue fescue and bearberry cotoneaster cope better than most, but nothing enjoys salt. Keep planting a couple of feet back from where plowed snow lands, and water the beds well in spring to flush the salt out.

What is permeable paving?

A surface that lets rain soak through to the ground: permeable pavers with gravel-filled joints, reinforced gravel grids, or porous asphalt and concrete. It cuts runoff and puddles, and some towns encourage or require it.

How do I make a long driveway look better?

Line it with one tree or shrub repeated at regular intervals, edge it with a contrasting band, and light the curves. Repetition is what makes a long driveway look deliberate.