Help!

We have a 4' wide by 40' long area that goes from mid driveway to the edge of our house. Right now all we have is rock. It gets full sun but I don't want to put anything too tall because it will block the view of our lake from the front. It is hideous. Any suggestions? Also, we have a courtyard that has hostas and rock right now. It is boring.

I don't know what part of the country you live in, but, are these a possibility?

http://www.colostate.edu/Depts/CoopExt/4DMG/Garden/rock.htm

http://www.wildgingerfarm.com/Sedum1.htm

http://www.cactuscollection.com/articles/sedums.html


http://www.hgtv.com/hgtv/gl_design_rock/article/0,1785,...3571_1382491,00.html

http://www.pathwayperennials.com/Rock%20Gardens.htm

This message has been edited. Last edited by: sheetmoss,

Thanks! Actually, when I said rock, I meant decorative pebbles. Since we didn't know what to do with it, we put a bunch of white rock pebbles down until we decided...

We live in southern illinois, by the way.

Bretsky, your wishes are too much up in the air....no idea of what you think you'd like is offered.

The 40 x 4' area...I take it runs alongside the driveway..bordering it.....and the driveway runs across the property that is part of the view to the lake.
The property...is it with a lakeside setting or is the view toward the lake--off in the distance.

So what do you see there...a hedge maybe...low growing, minimal maintenance; a garden..annuals..(not perennials since they only last a certain time and then wither on the vine...not something to view as looking good toward the lake).
Small shrubs or evergreens surrounded by gardens or the hedge.

Trees---some trees lend themselves to not blot out views--birch, poplar, plane tree etc
Evergreens...medium height, narrow growing can stand as sentinels to smaller shrubs.

Why not think an expanse of lawn and not put anything there.
A small fence to which you put a coach light at the end of the driveway. Vines such as clematis and wisteria may be thought of.

I take it your property is possibly like others on the street...what have neighbors done...not to emulate but to get some idea what works.

The lake...is this one where you have a dock...maybe a boat there (maybe on a hoist), some large containers can pretty up such an area with garden material or small evergreens.
Keep this clear of landing birds who dirty it by having a bird of prey sitting on it...or a cat to shoo away the birds.
I speak of my own setting here...

Now one thing you might put up with even tho it will block a little view....a flagpole...there's nothing nicer than a nice bright new flag flying identifying your space on the lake.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: JeannieM,

If you wanted to leave the pebbles, put big pots/containers every few feet down the length and fill with sun loving annuals. It would be impressive with ten or fifteen containers filled with plants and all of the sedums in the links could grow over the rocks below. It would be easy maintance.

You may get some ideas from this site:

http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/

If its a lake setting you don't have to use just flowers you could get like 2 ola or new rowing ors and drill screws in them to use for height but wouldn't block to much of your lake veiw set potted plants like vine ones that could grow up them, I know a lady that has an old wooden boat leaned on its side and fills it full of flowers they cut part of one side where it looks like its partway in the ground she hangs those white life saver dills on each end then has a small fence made of that big heavy rope you tie boats off with she painted her rope with outdoor spray paint.Anything thats an eye sore can be made into something with not allot of work or money, its all in the imagenation.