what to replace logs on gravel drive with??
I have a raised gravel driveway & it has logs running up the side which have always been rotten but they’ve started falling apart & have now fallen down the banking to the side.
I’ll need to replace them all with something but don’t want to do logs again and bluntly I’m looking to do it in a fairly cost effective fashion!
Would a low fence look daft? A concrete curb?
Any suggestions very welcome as I’m not quite sure what to do!
Comments (11)
Daisy England
2 years agoRelated Discussions
What would you do?
Comments (69)Have a look at how this house would have been presented in 1928. See if you can find any archives from the firm which designed it. Pebble-dash has a long history of domestic use here, going back to the nineteenth century, and it is possible to renovate it or replace it with modern pebble-dash which looks very handsome. At one time a terrible pink pd was used (later twentieth century), but the look you would be after is a tawny, sandy-beach range of colours. Your house was built at a time when there was a great taste for creating manageable homes with subtle rustic touches to give a cottagey feel without making extra work for the maid/housewife or actually making it look like a real cottage (which at that time still meant the slums people were escaping as much as anything else.) The 20s were also a time when the popular taste for half-timbered and timber-framed buildings was very strong. The people who call the buildings in Canada and the US "Tudor" because of the timber decoration on the exterior derive their description from early 20th c useage in Britain. Real timber-framed etc buildings used render which had to be reparied and repainted pretty constantly. This is where pebble-dash, a vry tough material, comes in. I wouldn't lose it! I'd keep it and clean and mend it. If you get someone in to fix it the old-fashioned way you'll be surprised at the skill it takes (not unlike harling.) Look at the nice way it flares at the bottom so neatly. Don't lose these humble period details, I beg of you. But rethink the porch and hide the burglar-alarm....See MoreWhat would you do with this front garden?
Comments (19)Hi, If you want simplicity I'd go for removing the grass and replacing with pebbles. There is an easy honeycomb system that holds the gravel in place, so good for driving over and still looking tidy. Have a look at "cedagravel" (there are cheaper alternatives but make sure there is a base membrane attached to the system to stop weeds). If you leave empty area in the middle you can plant Karl Foester Grasses which will blow gently in the breeze and stay upright with low level planting surrounding it. If you don't like grasses choose a small tree like a Chanticleer Pear Tree which will give interest most of the year - white flowers in the early spring and golden leaves in the autumn (a longer lasting deciduous tree). Always try to go to the nursery and pick your plants directly - or get actual photo as they can vary! Look at Round Box Balls, Hakonechloa or Mugus Mop to plant around the base. These will make the look tidy as the base of the grasses can get a little messy in the winter season. Good luck!...See MoreIf you had £1000 to spare, what would you buy?
Comments (45)I have my eye on on some beautiful new chairs or the dining room. It took several years to find the right table and I've been searching for the right chairs for over a year....See MoreWhat should we do with this frontage
Comments (34)Hello. Do you have a good idea of how the house looked originally? Do any others in your road still have original features? As an architecture bore, I think your house is a lovely period piece, albeit with newer windows (I'm all for good insulating windows but I've never quite got over old buildings with modern windows!), so I'd look to its original features for inspiration. You can then decide what's going to be necessary for you to live there in the 21st century and get the best of both worlds. From your photo I love the red flowers. Together with the red brick and pale housepaint to me it presents a cheerful aspect to the world. Lauren's mock up is great - painting the tiles red really brings everything together....See More
User
2 years agoAlternatively you could also keep it open aspect but defined through a timber bollard edge such as show in the image. This would avoid a visual conflict with your boundary panel fencing.
Richard G
2 years ago
Sonia
2 years agoWould concrete edging like this do the job? It comes in different colour and styles so you can have it in grey with a straight edge if you prefer. It probably would be a tad pricey but worth a look?
User
2 years agoHi Richard, A compromise between the two timber options to give you the cost effective safety solution required, would be a timber trip rail as shown. Low key, low cost and provides a safety edge.
User
2 years ago
1shanson
2 years agoYour gravel drive needs some sort of edge to give it a crisper finish and stop the gravel and grass from crossing over. Blocks that blend with the gravel colour would give a classic and tidy appearance (1st photo). Although I have block paved drive, it has a concrete edge that is slightly raised. Additional definition is added with post lights. Even though it is old, it takes no maintenance (2nd photo).
PROBramley Apple Garden Design
2 years ago
Julian Cheese
2 years ago
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