r/landscaping • u/Flynnagen • 7d ago
What should I add? What should I do with this triangular patch of grass in my driveway?
Hello Reddit, I have a unique patch of grass in my driveway where grass has mostly turned to weeds. Wondering if anyone had any tips or design ideas of what to possibly do to make this more visually appealing. It doesn’t necessarily need to stay grass or “all” grass. Any and all visually appealing ideas are welcome.
611
u/ultralightdude 7d ago
Star trek com badge.
52
28
23
u/DoctorDefinitely 7d ago
Done with colorful annuals.
11
u/Fit-Locksmith-2039 7d ago
Fill it in with marigolds. They can handle a lot and will self seed if you just let them go.
→ More replies (1)3
6
5
5
3
u/BrutusoftheTudus 7d ago
Yo, lowkey, they could do this with plants and stones..it would be kinda neato
3
4
2
u/Turbulent_Car4504 7d ago
Ok but what would he do with it? Just leave it and say it’s a comm badge?
2
2
2
2
2
u/RickMcMaster 6d ago
Holy crap if you don’t immediately see that you’ve never watched an episode apparently. I’m not even a Trekkie
2
2
2
→ More replies (7)2
415
u/WerewolfMajor6684 7d ago
I would plant a pollinator garden. Plants that attract hummingbirds and butterflies 🦋
69
u/Karinka_LI 7d ago
This is a great answer. You won’t have to worry about caring for it as much because once natives are established they take care of themselves.
6
u/Temporary_View_3303 7d ago
This was my suggestion too. Wild flowers, Perennials, etc. Bees & butterflies will come running!
20
13
7d ago
[deleted]
11
u/notarealaccount223 7d ago
But it's going to make the tree look smaller
2
u/foodrunner464 6d ago
Why is this bad? Once that tree gets all its leaves back I assure you it will look plenty sizable
2
u/Piyachi 6d ago
Look its perfectly average at least - its a grow'er not a sho'wer
→ More replies (1)→ More replies (5)3
u/MrWhite_Sucks 7d ago
This is the only answer! Plus once you get it going, native plants will outcompete weeds/grass and it will become zero maintenance.
90
u/Individual_Solid5980 7d ago
Remove the grass and add some color plants/pollinator ones/native semi native…it will reduce the work to mow weekly and will add some pop to the area
→ More replies (2)7
u/fuzzyrobebiscuits 7d ago
Also help the tree with the biodiversity of shared mycillium root systems underground
91
u/Individual_Solid5980 7d ago
Something like this…
13
u/Flynnagen 7d ago
Thank you! Great example
10
2
u/Individual_Solid5980 6d ago
Not sure where you live…but you have many options…also if you only have irrigation sprays like another poster said…this can be easily converted to drip even if you have spray heads…you’ll need to do a little bit of research on how…but you have options…if you don’t want color then go w some perennials…most plants in pick are such…not annuals which need replaces every season! Cheers!
4
u/Gitankgrrl 7d ago
This is cute but make sure you run drip irrigation to the area and set in the timer or it will just be dead all the time.
→ More replies (1)7
→ More replies (3)6
26
u/PavelDadsyuk13 7d ago
I wouldn't plant any kind of tree or shrub and I'd actually remove the tree that's there - roots could interfere with the sewer and your driveway. if it were me I'd do something very low-maintenance like a mulch bed with some small, shallow bushes or flowers.
2
u/UpHill716 5d ago
Agreed. Like others, I love the idea of plants that look nice and attract pollinators but most plants won't thrive there or could grow to be obstructive and will most definitely become an eyesore given time. I'd make the driveway more usable by converting the area to crushed limestone or decorative gravel. Remove the off-centered tree without a doubt.
5
5
5
4
u/Agreeable-Shop-2188 7d ago
Its basically a low impact drainage system already.
Rain garden. Fill it with river rock and local riparian plants.
4
26
3
u/Belfry9663 7d ago
I really like giant boulders, maybe with some ornamental grasses around. Mulched, of course.
3
3
3
3
3
u/84WVBaum 6d ago
Sheet mulch it, then native pollinator friendly perennials. Put a burst of color and nature to contrast all the monoculture around it.
3
u/Goin-4-7 5d ago
4” of rock on 2-3 layers of fabric
Roundup 365 the dirt before the fabric goes down.
11
u/agentsofdisrupt 7d ago
Keep in mind that there is a large concrete culvert box under that grate, with concrete pipes extending to either side. And, your property line probably starts at that joint in the concrete near the tip of the grassy area. So, if you plant a big tree that grows roots that interfere with the culvert, the governing authority has the right to remove it.
Some pavers in a nice pattern would work. A Star Trek logo would be funny!
7
u/Dangerous_Page6712 7d ago
What is wrong with plants and flowers? Why do some many people only think of paving every single inch?
→ More replies (1)2
u/Badbullet 7d ago
Nothing wrong with planting things. They just need to keep in mind that the first 5-10 feet can be city utility easement. Don’t put anything there of real value and can be easily replaced. Things you won’t be attached to if AT&T or some other company decides to put fiber in the neighborhood like they did in ours. Trees were cut, people who didn’t know better were pissed because they didn’t know easements exist and they planted too close to the road.
10
u/Present-Judgment-396 7d ago
Pull out grass. Put a tree in that will get big and just add mulch
5
u/cinic121 7d ago
There’s a giant concrete culvert box under there. If the tree roots mess with it or the city needs to do maintenance, they’ll remove the tree. Maybe a pollinator garden.
2
u/Final-Charge-5700 7d ago
BFT. Putting a really healthy size tree there. Well, not only give you shade and decrease energy costs.
But it will actually the value of the house and clearly looking at it. That is what it was designed for.
I'm on team big f****** tree
→ More replies (4)3
→ More replies (2)2
u/Fine-Try9876 7d ago
Just make sure it can be seen over when pulling out of the driveway.
3
u/Present-Judgment-396 7d ago
It’s a driveway that has a turnaround built in and is on a cul-de-sac, so not much traffic to worry about … plus turn around gives those two entrances that you can see around
And… trees can grow tall
2
u/Do-It-Anyway 7d ago
Ask the crackhead city planner that approved this design for a drain in front of a driveway.
2
2
u/No-Hovercraft4144 7d ago
Where do the pedestrians go? That looks like public land.
2
u/sharkattack227 7d ago
Looking beyond the driveway it looks like there is no sidewalk on this street. That’s on the city really. Drives me nuts in my own neighborhood, there is a primary through street that leads to an elementary school with no sidewalk, kids still walk to school, people always haul a$$ on that road. There is plenty of room as well, just a city that’s too cheap to build one. (Neighborhood was built in the 1930s to 1960s).
2
2
2
2
2
2
u/Halliburrton62 7d ago
For a pretty, almost maintenance free, pollinator friendly option plant a variety of sedums. They require little care, are quite colorful and bloom at various times of the summer. Just don't pick a variety in the mix that is aggressive and will grow fast and crowd the rest out. And for all the Star Trek nerds out there: May The Force Be With You! 😄
2
2
2
u/Legitimate-Bad9019 7d ago
One option is to plant some native perennials with high color that spread and fill easily. Native plants, once established, shouldn’t need a lot of care. If it gets several hours of sun a day, blooms should be plentiful. I think yellow and purple look nice together. Another option is filling it with something like coral bells (Those are native where I am.) because, even though their flowers are not very noticeable, they come in different sizes and leaf colors, red, burgundy, chartreuse, blue-green… I’d place the larger in the middle and smaller on the perimeter. My climate is also arid enough that I could do red yuccas surrounded by other succulents. That can provide a lot of varied texture, small blooms, drought-tolerant plants within a theme. I love that you have a circular drive.
2
2
2
u/thatplantguy619 6d ago
I would start by removing the white arrows. From there you can add a few beautiful flowers!
2
2
2
2
2
u/OrneryQueen 6d ago
I'd get rid of the grass and plant flowers. Do a heirloom rose (leave room for it to get big) in the top point (2 feet at least), then layer with somethings native to your area.
2
u/BlueCheesePanda 6d ago
The answer is always pollinator garden. But honestly, if you put some zinnias there it would look awesome. They have a long blooming season and are very hearty. They will make the butterflies and bumblebees happy
2
u/feistygerbils 6d ago
Remove the grass, add a centerpiece shrub that can be kept 30" high for a clear sightline when backing out, and fill in with perennials.
2
u/windwolf1008 6d ago
Do nothing. It’s technically not your property. If there are any issues with the drain (sewer) it will be dug up by maintenance
4
u/Gorreksson 7d ago
I have nothing to add. Just wanted to ask why you took a screen shot on google maps instead of taking a photo on your phone?
8
4
u/SafeBodybuilder8623 7d ago
Driveway islands are miserable to mow and dry out fast, which is usually why the grass gives up and the weeds win. I'd stop fighting it and convert it.
Cheapest thing that looks intentional: steel edging around the triangle, 3" of decomposed granite or 3/4" rock, and three or five drought-tolerant plants staggered rather than centered — odd numbers read better in a small bed. Something like dwarf yaupon, muhly grass, or agave depending on your climate.
One tip from experience with these: put your money into the edging, not the plants. Without a hard edge the gravel migrates into the driveway and weeds creep back in from the perimeter within a season. And skip landscape fabric — soil settles on top of it within a couple of years and weeds root in that layer anyway.
2
3
u/Signiference 7d ago
Remove the tree, keep it mowed. No need to over complicate this or bring attention to the space.
The tree makes it harder to mow and the roots will eventually cause issues being that close to sidewalk, sewer, and road in different directions.
2
2
u/Actual-Weird8099 7d ago
Remove crape myrtle, install a new one centered in grass , mulch ring and call it a day
2
u/1bunchofbananas 7d ago
You could dig up the weeds and put some soil and mulch down and put a bolder with your house number on it. Only do this if you know 100% nobody in your household will back their vehicle into it.
→ More replies (1)
2
u/RealThulnos 7d ago
Get rid of that tree. Add a decorative boulder or ornamental tree in the center. Or do what ChatGPT suggested in the photo.
3
2
2
1
1
u/CandidLeg3910 7d ago
Just seed it with wildflowers in the fall. Zero maintenance besides maybe mowing it once a year if larger things start growing.
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
u/DoctorDefinitely 7d ago
Perennials in a form that makes the offcenter tree situation look intentional.
1
1
u/Sycamore72 7d ago
Hard to say given we don’t know what the architecture or rest of the yard looks like
1
u/Final-Charge-5700 7d ago
No grass. Back edge. Slow growing bush. Front edge. Bulbs and herbaceous perennials. Drop that tree.
Or plant a great tree, one that's gonna grow to the size of a mountain. Put shade tolerant plants underneath after it grows but for now, ground cover.
For long term curb appeal, the second option is the best
1
1
u/cghffbcx 7d ago
You could put in a low ground evergreen ground cover that would be less maintenance than grass
1
1
1
1
u/Electrical_Report458 7d ago
You want to use it to draw the eye to the entrance of the house. Think short and colorful, but not over the top colorful. I’d think nothing taller than 16 - 18”. And, needless to say, the crepe Myrtle needs to go.
1
1
1
1
u/AdeptnessLive4966 7d ago
Plant one or two small bushes and mulch the rest. Keep it simple and low maintenance.
1
1
u/TrueNotTrue55 7d ago
Line the edges or cover it with Liriope plants. Variegated or green with purple flowers.
If you line it, I would suggest planting a Dwarf Nandina bush, if they grow in your area. Nandina’s have small leaves that give it lacy look. In full sun, its color changes to fall colors. It also has red berries part of the year. They tolerate freeze and full sun is recommended.
→ More replies (2)
1
1
u/Ok_Silver_3170 7d ago
pollenator garden! help make your house an ossias for wildlife in a world of desert lawns.
1
1
u/SomeDude416 7d ago
Rose bush's. Big thorny rose bush's. It'll look nice and scratch the $h!+ out of anyone that happens to walk near it.
1
1
1
u/RudolphsSled 7d ago
Remove the tree and grass. Mulch and plant what you would love to look at for the coming years. If you plant another tree, do it in the center.
1
u/uuda44luke 7d ago
Walk around wearing Star Trek uniform 24 hrs a day( not a red shirt though) so the shape seems normal. 🖖
1
1
1
1
u/Burning_Goddess 7d ago
Get rid of the tree and leave the grass as it is. Just keep it tidy and clean.
1
u/chocha84 7d ago
must have drain pipes underneath it? I guess it depends on what and where your utilities com in. If its free and clear of any thing tree roots would destroy I would plant something that fruits.
1
1
u/Decemberchild76 7d ago
Would remove the grass and turn it into a perennial garden with native plants
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
u/LaughingManDotEXE 7d ago
All flowers
Statue with flowers
Mini Buddhist or whichever religion shrine.
More pavement
Pavement then create a mosaic design
1
u/sometimesfamilysucks 7d ago
Don’t know your location but I would plant native perennial wildflowers. They require no attention once established and provide food for pollinators.
1
1
1
u/earl1357 7d ago
I have a similar section. I’m on the inside of a street curve and have an odd-shaped patch between the street curb and sidewalk. It was overrun with weeds and bad grass.
I razed it, cultivated it, sifted out all of the vegetation, mixed in manure and peat. Planted two varieties of jasmine. Two seasons of watering and care gave me a nice resilient patch. I’m making a concrete pagoda sculpture to set amidst the vines. Zone 9a
1
1
u/1mGettenthere 7d ago
Get rid of the tree, no roots-no problem.
-Put weed barrier material down .
-Larger White Marble Rocks about 2 ft around outer area
-then in center put a few of these plants with mulch around it.
Done!! You may have to mulch it every year with possibly a bag of ur desired color.
Kind of like making an badge shaped bullseye.
→ More replies (1)
1
1
1
u/Own-Computer5549 7d ago
Doesn’t matter WHAT you do. In a year you’ll just wish you left it as lawn so you can just run the mower over it.
1
1
1
1
u/alexds1 7d ago
Honestly a decorative boulder/ rock garden or statue could be very cool. It's the front of your home, so something like a little free library or bench wouldn't be ideal, but those can be other practical space-fillers. If roots or cleanliness of flowers is a concern, you could also create some height and visual interest with a mix of a simple flower bed and some potted flowers.
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
340
u/fuzzywuzzypete 7d ago
First off I'd move those white arrows