24 Driveway Landscape Ideas for the Ultimate Curb Appeal

Garden Meets Gravel Driveway

Pick plants that will perk up a gravel driveway. Mary Jane Duford, a master gardener of Home for the Harvest, popped in some vibrant greenery near this property’s two rocky gravel driveways.

“We chose simple plants, straight lines, and orderly patterns to complement the home’s midcentury modern architecture,” she says.

For the best results, choose garden plants that require low maintenance like less watering to avoid oversaturating your gravel.

Geometric Pavers

For this property, Karri Files, the founder of K. Files Design, created a meandering path of geometric driveway pavers that visually lengthens the space from the driveway to the front door. The new tree she planted balances with the large window and creates an innovative focal point.

Low Maintenance Ornamental Grasses

Duford also designs lower-maintenance front yard landscaping. For this property, she added a simple line of ornamental grasses running alongside the home that requires only one trim each year.

“Ornamental grasses add movement and a modern touch to the landscape,” she says. She also added several species of dwarf maples to add some height when paired with the grasses.

Shrubs Paired With Flowers

Try combining flowers and shrubs for a varied look. Duford added a row of evergreen yew shrubs and lavender to this property to form a straight hedge by the property’s line.

“The flowering lavender softens the greenery and has proved surprisingly effective in discouraging browsing deer,” she says.

Designs on the Driveway

Decorate the driveway with colorful bricks. Martin created a 30’ custom compass rose inlay. It was added to create visual interest and break up the large expanse of the driveway. The compass points true north for a decorative and fun touch.

Planter Box

Files knew the parking space in the front of this house and its lawn were on the smaller side. So, she added a neat planter box to provide a defined space between the lawn and the front cocktail patio. Adding in window boxes is another way to pop in some blooms.

Rocks and Flowering Bushes

Have a less than eye-catching driveway gate? Plant bountiful blooms next to it and create a punchy aesthetic. The vibrant fuchsia hue of this flowering bush adds pops of color and texture to the bright white color palette of the driveway door.

Wooden Gate

Another way to offer curb appeal in your landscaping is to build other features like a wood retaining wall or a simple wooden fence. The untreated wood in this home’s fence warms up the cooler tones of the house and juxtaposes well against the green grass.

Minimalist Cacti

At the same time, less can be more when it comes to plants near your home’s driveway. Although the cacti garden featured in this landscaping takes up less space, its unique colors and shapes add curb appeal in a minimalist style.

Brick All the Way

Planters filled with bushes and other ground cover provide a counterbalance to an all-stone driveway.

“If you want to give your driveway a stylish facelift, line it with perennial beds that require minimal maintenance yet deliver maximum visual appeal,” Marvin Magusara, co-founder of Retaining Wall Supplies, says. “To complete the look, be sure to install solar-powered lights highlighting the edges.”

Bountiful Flowers

A maximalist approach to flowers in your home’s landscaping can offer a smaller house a sense of grandness. The trick is the varying heights of these flowers, which help to create a feeling of plenty without making viewers feel overwhelmed.  

Flowers in the Front

The flowers at the front of this house come in a variety of creams and blues.

“A pop of color is always nice,” Files says. “But opt for perennials that endure like Nepeta and Geranium Cranesbill.”

Neat and Simple

Sometimes all you need to create curb appeal through landscaping is a neat paved concrete walk leading from the concrete driveway to the house. The tall evergreen next to the drive adds interest without detracting from the space’s simple aesthetic.

Mini Walkway

Willow Gates Landscaping created a short, paved walkway from the driveway to the house. Not only is the walkway practical for homeowners, but it also offers an impactful design moment.

The colorful bricks stand out against the simplicity of the flowerbeds, which have been carefully weeded to allow the ground to poke through and complement the earthy shades of the home’s exterior.

Lavender Plants

Files used lavender in this compact front yard full of hardscape to create a rich, natural focal point. The flowers have the added bonus of being water tolerant.

“Any plants along the driveway edge should be durable and more drought tolerant,” Files says.

Multiple Planters

Depending on the size of your front yard, you could also add multiple planters to the landscaping around your driveway. Willow Gates Landscaping used flowerbeds at the entrance of this driveway to help add a visual break from the street.

During the summer, these planters bloom with native flowers like daisies, black-eyed Susans, and day lilies to further separate the verdant yard from the road.

Different Plant Species

In addition to installing a new, curving concrete paver walkway, Willow Gates Landscaping elevated the landscaping around the driveway with several different plant species.

“The plantings provide color all season, with a mix of perennials, evergreens, and flowering shrubs,” Martin says. These include Hellebores, which begin blooming in February to March, and Pieris japonica, an early spring flowering evergreen shrub.

He also added ferns and hydrangeas to fill out the summer months. All the plants thrive in the yard’s partially shaded area.

Compact Planter

The planter beside this driveway is compact, making it difficult to fill up the space with numerous plants.

“I kept the front planting palette neat and clean with a few perennial flowering items,” Flies says.

Modern Gate

This beautiful gateway by Garon Fence has intricate inlaid metal designs that transform the structure into a standout feature of the home’s landscaping.

According to Matthew Prato, president of Garon Fence, many small details went into creating the intricate gate which is why it’s also topped off with large concrete planters.

Pretty Patio

Another way to add visual interest around the driveway is to use repeating motifs.

Willow Gates Landscaping matched the color and materials used in this walkway with the patio’s bricks to create a cohesive feel as visitors wind their way from the driveway to other areas of the property.

Planter With Shrubs

Files added shrubs to this sprawling yard beside a short driveway.

“You can enhance the architecture of the home by using evergreen shrubs to create form and depth of field,” Files says. “Depending on the placement, you can make your house look larger and your driveway appear longer.”

Classic White Swing Gate

An inset “X” design adds some farmhouse style to the gateway designed by Garon Fence. Though the gate seems simple, the decorative X and bright white shade provide an element of interest to the landscape full of towering trees.

Ornamental Shrubs

While using shrubs can fill the space in front of your home, consider adding in varying heights to provide layers of details.  

Plants on All Sides

This driveway is wrapped around the front of the house. To fill in the green spaces, Files incorporated several different flowering bushes to offer pops of color that aren’t simply green grass.