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gabriella_williams31

landscaping along driveway: ADVICE NEEDED

Ganny Williams
14 days ago

We live on a busy street and need advice on what to do with these two strips along the driveway. The strip along the fence has creeping bellflower and japanese knotweed like no other making it extremely hard to grow grass without it taking over. Any advice? or ideas? Open to anything. Both have slight slope at the end.

Comments (9)

  • floraluk2
    14 days ago
    last modified: 14 days ago

    If you have JK (which I can't see in the pix) don't even think of growing anything there until the JK has been eradicated. Don't waste time or money on plants or mulches until it has gone. The only way is repeated herbicide applications. It took 3 years to get it out of my woods.

  • Ganny Williams
    Original Author
    14 days ago

    what herbicide did you use?

  • laceyvail 6A, WV
    13 days ago

    Ditto on the knotweed. The driveway is so narrow that I think grass is likely to be the best solution for the strip between the driveway and the (also very narrow) path to the house. It will always be a PITA to cut, but at least it won't matter much if it gets run over now and then.

    I'm not one for a lot of hardscaping, but in this case I think I'd make it all driveway/path concrete.

  • deb s
    13 days ago

    I would put pavers between the driveway and walkway to provide more walk space then the remaining area lay a thick weed block and fill with stone to match the pavers and put pretty pots with a hit of color matching the house fill planters w flowering plants

  • floraluk2
    13 days ago
    last modified: 13 days ago

    I don't know what the herbicide was. I had to employ a professional company who could use stuff not available to gardeners.


    Any JK you dig out should be burned on site and NOT sent to landfill or green waste collection.

  • Maureen
    13 days ago
    last modified: 13 days ago

    So much depends on your budget, gardening interest and its maintenance. If it were me, I take lots of pictures and head to a large garden center. They’ll suggest different approaches, based on your criteria. I think it‘s important to also think long term (can do in phases), as the entire front should be considered which will add to curb appeal and value.

    Be sure both sides of the walkway work with each other, so consider how it will feel when mature.


    Down the left side of driveway, you have to deal with the bellflower and knotweed (discuss at garden centre), but it may come back so skip grass and it will save mowing also. I’d add height, bushes/flowering plants and stones (add a layer underneath to stop the weeds) and consider watering needs with all of your choices.




    For the area where it slants, consider the effects of erosion and being maintenance free; a few boulders would do the trick.


  • arcy_gw
    13 days ago
    last modified: 13 days ago

    I agree with the idea of making it drivable so on the side near the house I would add rock/large scale pavers/widen the driveway cement. Which ever you can afford. The slope on the left I would fill with hosta, or day lilies, it's about as low maintenance as one can get and will eventually fill in to the point of no weeds will survive. If you live where there is snow these plants will not be in your way come winter. Then a boarder of whatever you do on the other side. I hope that white rock is not yours--it's always going to stick out in not a good way.


  • shirlpp
    13 days ago

    Is the truck always parked there? It just seems like there isn't any path to the house.

    Maybe extend the concrete for a wider driveway with a path to the house, then - deal with the plantings closer to the road.

  • Sigrid
    13 days ago

    You need to get rid of the weeds. I've never had knotweed, but the Serbian bellflower is awful. You'll never dig it up. If you leave a bit of those roots in, you'll get 10 new plants. After you think it is all dead, if you see the flowers, get rid of them. They can spew millions of seeds.

    Use something like round up on dry, sunny days.

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