How to landscape this area which is on the side of a driveway?

Here are some photos of my side garden that may spark some ideas for you: https://thehoneycombhome.com/garden-tours/

How do hostas do in your area? My mother has some that have blooms and some that are multi colored. Super low maintenance. Hers in full sun do better than the ones in partial shade.

HI Ceil! I can understand your need for no maintenance! Here are some ideas for you!

https://www.pinterest.com/explore/low-maintenance-landscaping/

Lift the stones first and then level out the area you wish to use for a walkway by digging out some of the top soil and replacing it with garden fabric and 3 inches of small stone which is tamped down to make it even and then lay the stones. Decide on what kind of plants you want, such as bushes like wisteria or azalea (about 3 feet high), or low growing plants such as annuals like petunias or marigolds which will give you the color you desire. After planting, cedar mulch up to three inches high around the new plants but not close to the stems. Leave some room so the mulch does not touch the plants. You could have this project done in a couple of hours.

Roses would look pretty. Check out Drift roses. Super easy to care for and they bloom about 9 months out of the year.

https://www.gardenupgreen.com/2017/08/beautiful-coral-drift-roses.html

I would use a Blue Pacific Juniper ground cover. It is a spreading evergreen plant, loves sun and requires little care. Has a nice blue-green color. Comes in 1, 2 , 5 gallon containers. Most nurseries have it along with Lowes and Home Depot.

Remember you don't want anything with thorns or needles to scratch you as you walk to the driveway. I would keep low growing herbs that smell good. Mint and Lemon balm can take over but the trimming are great in Iced tea. Ajuga is a pretty flowering perennial ground cover that spreads fast.

I'm not sure what part of Florida you are in, but perennial peanut is a ground cover with little yellow flowers. You can walk on it without damaging it. It grows quickly and spreads by creeping. I have it next to my driveway at my South Florida home.

BUILD up the edges next to the driveway & fill it in with dirt. Level it off using a 2x4 with a person on each side running the 2x4 over it like frosting a cake. Plant your stepping stones & then plant your plants. I would use succulents & cacti. They root shallow but grow wide. Some are ground cover & some grow upwards, then spread. Prickly pear will fill that whole area using just 2 plants & 3 years growth. Try to avoid those if possible & stick to things like Aloe Vera (max growth 3 feet tall & 4 feet around) or Ball Cactus (about 3 feet tall & 3 feet around) or flowers. Aloe & Cacti love the heat of Florida & require little maintenance. When planting them, use sand or gravel around them & you won't havta do a lot of weeding. If the weeds cannot see sunlight, they cannot grow. Hope this helps. :)

Here’s some photos, you could get ideas from.

Have you thought about using stones that complement your driveway, and filling in most of the bare space with them? Then get a really pretty large planter, sit it on the stones, and change it out with the blooming seasons? Or fill it with a variety of pretty succulents--the kind that don't have thorns?

Good Day!

I would first check with your local garden store to see what plants are native to your area, not all plants will survive in Florida because of the heat you get. Another person had suggested a low growing plant and I agree especially since its next to the driveway. You also want plants that can handle people walking on them, they bounce right back. If you plant something that is native to your area it'll be less maintenance for you.

Have fun!

This site belongs to the landscape. We are currently working on our landscaping at the cottage, too. We want to get it all perfect because the visible part of our environment is significant to us. It is challenging to improve such an ample space. I have great ideas and a pretty vivid imagination, but I don't know how to implement them properly. Our neighbors, who have an incredible landscape, advised us to contact a paving company to make all our dreams come true. They are engaged in landscape design. I think it will be a good experience and hopefully, we will not be disappointed.

Hello Ceil, hope this helps you out. You can plant some low maintenance shrubs such as Boxwood, Dwarf Gardenia, Rosemary, and Rhododendron. You can add in a variety of sizes to add some extra curb appeal as well as flowering, evergreen, and deciduous shrubs. Lay some landscape fabric around them and put some pea gravel or other type of rock on top, it will look clean and is low mtc, due to the landscape fabric.

I would consider making the area level with a small retaining wall. This would give you more flat room to landscape so you can make all your pavers level.