*elp! Weeds and small arches (yes seriously)

[Eyelet]

I'm trying to find a miniature arch, about 1m in height for the entrance to a a secret hideaway for my DC - probably needs to be 50cm wide?

Also - the time has come for me to tackle my driveway - its gravel but has been left for years and parts are almost lawn. We need to smarten it up but recognise no point in putting down more gravel with weeds/plants still in it. We have a bee hive nearby so don't want anything which will harm them - none of the weeds are currently flowering - what is best to use?.

We have a border around the drive which I want to plant for bees - north facing suggestions? i wondered about Lavender but it barely gets the sun, and the bulbs I planted rotted.

Many thanks

could you make the arch out of willow?

bee plants that are ok north facing - cerinthe (annual that self seeds), buddleja, geraniums, aquilegia.

How substantial does the arch need to be? Could you try a cheap wire one and just not assemble it to the full height? Don't know how wide they are though.

It needs to be solid enough for small preschoolers to run through again and again. I think what I've decided to do is rig up a wire fence then cover it with a bamboo or rush screen - by tying the two together I can cut an arch shape in the screen/fence.

I have about a thousand geraniums, can I over winter them or should I dig them up and bring them into the greenhouse (unheated but above freezing).I've also been given a buddlia so can stick that in there.

Any thoughts on the weedkiller?

I made an arched entrance to an edible igloo for the DDs out of a bamboo hoop cane thing. They come in different sizes and you could tie your wire into it.

I just use a standard round up type spray weed killer on the gravel drive. I don't think any of them will harm the bees but check the packet.

Instead of weed killer, how about a weed gun (ie scaled-down flame thrower) that will burn off the weeds without risk to the bees?