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Driveway Garden Tour

The Driveway Border is the first part of the garden that visitors see as they drive through to the house. At the fork there's a huge cordyline, and a decision to be made - go straight ahead, or turn left? The house is hidden in the trees, and the driveway to the left disappears round a gentle corner. It might be a good time to stop and look around - you'll reach the house soon enough.

Driveway Border

There are a lot of plants and trees to look at in this part of the garden. There are distant rustic views of farm out-buildings, as well as a long sweeping lawn to admire. As you walk towards the house, you'll see that the driveway border is full of an assortment of plants, including flaxes, fencehugging roses, specimen trees, bulbs and perennials. You'll also pass the last resting place of Lucky Puss, who wasn't all that lucky at all, but that's another story...

The pines and gum trees in the Hump are the original shelter belt, planted twenty years ago for the rough dry nor-west winds. In my mind it would make the perfect woodland (deciduous) with spring bulbs and bluebells and little paths. In reality it's turning slowly into a native Pittosporum forest.

The driveway border was my first great dig, as I transformed the strip of rough patchy grass between the flowering cherries. The sheep fence still supports my first climbing roses, all of which thrive, and my first proudly cutting-grown Clematis Montana (a threatening bully.

A more recent addition is a second border along the left hand side of the drive. I've planted some rhododendrons in here, as well as a Cotinus. The gaps are filled with self seeding plants like white variegated honesty, nicotiana and cosmos. Of course there are a few little flaxes. I hope you'll see something that you like!

First Driveway Garden... Mon 21st Sep 2009: In early times I tended to spread my gardening tentacles out from the house. The first garden in the driveway was far away from home base, so it was left neglected, to get on with growing without my help. Tall gum and pine trees towered overhead, and there wasn't much sun.
Flaxes by the Driveway... Wed 9th Sep 2009: Plantings have changed down the driveway over the years. Some, like this early red flax, just didn't know how to stay in their place. Mind you, the Head Gardener did have a bad habit of planting shrubs too close to paths and driveways...
Wooden Garden Seats... Fri 4th Sep 2009: Finally the Driveway Lawn has some sturdy wooden garden seats. How about sitting in the shade underneath the big flowering cherry tree? It's such a peaceful spot, and there's much to enjoy in the surrounding gardens.
Maples and Rhododendrons... Sun 12th Oct 2008: In 2008 I chopped down a large Cotoneaster, opening up a huge new area of garden by the driveway. Out came seedling Pittosporums and in went rhododendrons and red maples and... The plant list goes on.
Driveway Rhododendrons... Wed 1st Oct 2008: The Driveway Gardens are gradually getting their share of rhododendrons. Mind you, two favourite pinks have been here a long time. But there's always room for fresh new rhododendron blood...
Trees and Borders... Fri 26th Sep 2008: The border of shrubs to the right of the driveway are recently planted, a design feature suggested by my younger artistic son. Plantings include flaxes, rhododendrons, hellebores and a beautiful purple Cotinus shrub. Mature trees tower above.
Down the Driveway... Mon 25th Feb 2008: This is a beautifully shaded part of the Driveway Border, with blossom and variegated Honesty flowering in spring, cool green shade in summer, and autumn leaf colour. The cordyline in its pot brightens up winter. Perfect!
Mid-Summer Rose... Thu 4th Jan 2007: Every year in mid-summer the scrambling rose called Wedding Day produces its creamy white single flowers, high in the trees which shelter the driveway.
The Welcome Garden... Tue 2nd Jan 2007: Welcome to the Moosey Garden! Just before the fork in the driveway you'll see this sign, in front of the Welcome Garden. It's a new development, full of New Zealand native shrubs. And just maybe Rusty the Dog will be sitting here to say hello!
Follow That Sheep... Tue 2nd Jan 2007: Walking down the driveway is one of the Moosey sheep's favourite journeys. Once a month they are escorted from the front sheep paddock down to the back sheep paddock. Or vice versa - when you're a sheep, the direction of travel hardly matters...
Tussock Grass... Sat 26th Mar 2005: There are tussocks in all parts of the Moosey Garden - this brown variety is one of my favourites. Using brown as a colour in a mixed border should put me on the daring, cutting edge of garden design, too...
Clematis Montana... Mon 25th Oct 2004: I’ve tried several times to get completely rid of the Clematis Montana growing along the fence in the Driveway Garden. It smothers one of the flowering cherry trees, and is generally a nuisance - but it still lives! And I still quite like it!
Statue with Blossom... Thu 30th Sep 2004: This small statue sits underneath the big flowering cherry tree in the driveway. In spring the blossom is magnificent, and there is much serenity in the small circular garden bed.
Cherry Blossom in Spring... Sat 25th Sep 2004: This flowering cherry in the driveway lawn can just be seen from the house bay window. It starts to flower in mid-september, when the main batches of mixed daffodils are showing off.
Daffodils by the Driveway... Thu 23rd Sep 2004: At the beginning of the driveway I've planted a host of golden, white, lemon, and assorted other colours of daffodils. These beauties nestle in the grass by the farm gates.
Firewood for Next Winter... Fri 3rd Sep 2004: In the middle of winter I truly appreciate the firewood that the Moosey garden seems to generate. It seems that just enough timber falls down in the storms to provide for the following winter's warmth.
Autumn Gold... Sun 2nd May 2004: Looking from the house you get a good view of the Driveway Garden and trees, as the driveway curves out of sight. In Autumn there is much warmth from the golden and yellow leaf colour.
Autumn Sorbus Leaves... Sun 25th Apr 2004: The deciduous trees down the driveway always put on a terrific display in both Spring and Autumn. This sorbus tree has the most beautiful colour changes in late April, and I always try and take a photograph of it.
Driveway to the House... Fri 27th Jun 2003: As you walk around the big bend in the driveway you can see the house, partly hidden by the trees. The trees and shrubs in the Driveway Garden have changed a lot since I first came to Mooseys. And most of all - they've grown!
Iceberg Climbing Rose... Wed 26th Mar 2003: The fence-line which marks the end of the driveway lawn is planted with big roses. There are two climbing Iceberg roses which hug the fence, spreading outwards and upwards.
Flowering Crab Apple Tree... Tue 25th Feb 2003: The blossom trees in the driveway are spectacular in spring. The pale pink flowering cherries are first, followed by this crab apple with its dark pinky red blossom.
Flower Carpet Roses... Fri 21st Feb 2003: The driveway border is home to several bright pink flower carpet roses, seen here flowering in mid-summer.
Daffodil Dog... Wed 19th Jul 2000: Groups of daffodils are also planted in the grass under the trees. I love driving past their flowers - they welcome me home, and remind me gently that the garden is waking up. It's a simple planting which always fills me with optimism for the coming months.
Sorbus... Fri 31st Mar 2000: The last tree in the driveway border is a Sorbus, a neat medium sized tree with neat elliptical green leaves and pink toned berries. At certain times of the year you'd walk past this tree and notice a rather sickly smell.
Viola In The Driveway... Fri 31st Mar 2000: Lots of silly purple Violas self-seed in the middle of the driveway. They have a precarious existence and are under constant threat from car and bicycle tyres, gumboots and dog paws.
Driveway Fork and Leylands... Tue 28th Mar 2000: When the driveway comes in from the road it splits into two. To the left is the house and the house garden. The drive to the right goes up and over the water race to the hay barn in the back paddock.
Locust Tree Thorns... Tue 28th Mar 2000: The driveway is rich in Autumn colours as the leaves on the many deciduous trees change. The locust tree is one of the first whose leaves drop and carpet the grass beneath.
Driveway Bergenias... Sat 19th Feb 2000: The driveway Bergenias are beautiful plants. Throughout the year they provide neat, evergreen foliage, then in spring deep cherry-pink flowers appear. This is the famous Bressingham Ruby variety.
Autumn Garden Colors... Fri 18th Feb 2000: In autumn reds, yellows and orangey browns colour the driveway border. Berries start to redden, and other leaves turn golden.
Round the Bend... Thu 17th Feb 2000: It's Autumn in my garden, and the driveway trees are starting to lose their leaves, forming a carpet of gold on the gravel. Early Autumn is a mellow yellow time of year, a time for thinking and planning new things.