DIY Network

On and Off the Road Maureen Gilmer prepares a curbside planting area for landscaping. From "Weekend Gardening" episode WKG-403

The term "curb appeal" usually applies to the overall look of a home and its landscape when viewed from the street; this project focuses on making a dull curbside planting area more appealing. Street renovation, in combination with a neglected landscape, has left the driveway area looking run-down and tired. Host Maureen Gilmer creates a welcoming entry to the driveway, using colorful plants, a drip-irrigation system and a whimsical creature who keeps watch over the new landscape.

Before

After

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Skill level: 3

Time needed: 14 hours

Figure A

The new plants are a collection of drought-adapted specimens, well suited to California's Mediterranean climate. Before planting, Maureen cuts back the overgrown ivy bed. The prominent gas meter (figure A) will be hidden by fountain grass and Mexican sage; dwarf eucalyptus, New Zealand tea trees and a number of Australian, Californian and South African plants will be used to provide drought tolerance and enhance the look of the bed. Long-lived perennials provide bold color during the growing season; seasonal annuals and a metal art sculpture complete the look.

The complete renovation took 14 hours, spread over the course of two days. On a level of 1 to 5, with 5 being the most difficult, this is a level-3 project, well suited to intermediate do-it-yourself gardeners. As with most gardening projects, it's best to start with a design in mind. Maureen downloads a digital picture of the area that needs to be redesigned and, working with landscape-design software, clicks and drags images to create the new look of the garden. To save time, she picked up all necessary supplies before starting the renovation.

Tools:

standard gardening tools
drip irrigation system
garden art piece
mulch

1. English ivy, although durable and easy to grow in warm climates, can be a serious maintenance problem: over time it can create an abundance of dead matter. Pruning should be done selectively to avoid creating an ugly edge along the planting. Lifting the ivy and pruning back dead materials from underneath keeps the edges looking natural.

Ivy: before pruning

Ivy: after pruning

2. The soil grading needs to be reset. At the sidewalk's edge, the soil is almost level with the concrete (figure B); it will be dropped at least an inch. At the driveway side of the bed, the soil will be dropped approximately 1-1/2" to 2"; the result is a grade with a 2 percent to 3 percent slope, angling down to the ivy. The area close to the ivy border is graded the same way, sloping toward the sidewalk.

3. The grading takes place in two stages: rough grading that sets the grade for the site and finish grading, where all the small bumps and remaining debris are removed, leaving a perfectly smooth soil bed (figure C).

Figure B

Figure C

Time spent so far: 4 hours.

RESOURCES :

Ace Hardware Supplies
To locate the nearest Ace Hardware to your home, click here.
Ace Hardware
2200 Kensington Ct.
Oak Brook, IL 60523-2100
Toll-free: 866-290-5334
Website: www.acehardware.com

Plants from Monrovia Horticultural Craftsmen
Monrovia Horticultural Craftsmen
Website: www.monrovia.com

DeWalt power tools
DeWalt
Website: www.dewalt.com/us/core/

Landscaping Services by D&J Landscaping
D & J Landscaping
E-mail: DJLandscaping@sbcglobal.net

Plants from Hines Horticulture
Website: www.hineshort.com

Soil Amendments
Soil amendments
Whitney Farms
Website: www.whitneyfarms.com

Metal giraffe
La Placita
310-350-7161
Contact: Sal Perez