A new landing and parking area were the last hurdles to face before plantings could begin. We designed a half circular loop for off-street parking to complement the main driveway that runs along the side of the house. The front loop gives homeowners and guests a place to park their cars for a quick entry to the front door.

Although the new parking area takes up a lot of the front yard, it's not visually overwhelming. In fact, the finished product has a cottage feel, and resembles a wide garden path. Using spray paint, we began by drawing the dimensions of the landing and parking area across the front yard, allowing us to easily visualize the space. For a driveway to be useful, it has to have maneuver room. A half circle like ours needs to be 10 feet wide or larger for easy navigation and parking. If the new driveway is straight, about 12 feet is the minimum width you need.

Using salvaged brick left over from construction, and two pickup truck loads of gravel, we achieved a nice look on a budget. We used crushed limestone for the surface because it's inexpensive and looks good with the house.

When using gravel for a driving surface, you need some type of edging to keep it in bounds. To make it, we selected bricks that matched those of the house. Our brick mason turned them vertically and set them on end in mortar. This edging easily holds 3 to 4 inches of crushed stone securely in place.

We spread the gravel, wet it down, and then tamped it to make sure it would be the right level. Then we dug out a few areas in the gravel and set in patches of brick for some nice detailing. We leveled up the bricks and spaced them about an inch apart. We then poured gravel over and around the bricks and used a broom to sweep the gravel into all the gaps, stabilizing the bricks. The random patches look like remnants of an old brick roadbed, giving the surface an aged look.

Of course, you don't have to use limestone. In some regions, aggregates such as pea gravel, crushed bricks, granite, and even oyster shells may be more readily available. Concrete and asphalt are the most popular surfaces for driveways. Although concrete is usually more expensive than asphalt, it's more durable and can be dyed or stained. Before installing a driveway or parking court, look at the different materials available, and make sure they fit the style of your house.

DO IT MYSELF?
Be realistic with do-it-yourself projects. Let the pros handle the detailed work, and don't take on projects beyond your limits. Here, we let a brick mason do work such as the mortared edging and the brick landing, but we were able to do the gravel and brick patches ourselves.