How to mask this ugly driveway

[KosmoKramer]

Anyone out there with a creative mind or experience of paving / creating a gravel patio?

My next door neighbour dug up my driveway in order to build his house. To cut a long story short, he won't replace it. I've given up fighting him but I have no budget to re-lay the flags. Plus I can't...incase he one day gets round to building the dividing wall. Sigh.

So I've started to dig it out. I was thinking of putting a decorative wavy border, on top of the existing flags, to disguise the half-pavers and then filling it with nice gravel. Has anyone got any other ideas? I have no money at all, so will need to tidy this up as cheaply as possible.

Thank you in advance.

Ps...it will not need to be driven on at all

Go to a solicitor. How can you live next to such a bastard! I think that's criminal damage. Put down gravel and lots of pots with shrubs to make a garden.

I'm not interested in pursuing with the neighbour. Just want to tidy it up now.

Yes, want to create something but am seeking advice how I can do this. Anyone with experience of this type of DIY or a DH that does?

Well, there are lots of ideas on Pinterest for this sort of thing - I suspect painted concrete or a ton of gravel on it would be your easiest option.

But a solicitor's letter would be cheaper.

Whatever you do on the cheap, your drive won't look good because that will cost money, and surely the value of the property is reduced. However, gravel will work but no solution is cheap. Do you have a friend who could help with the flags? It is sad you have decided to let the bully win.

Have you still got the flags? I am wondering if you can weed matting, a layer of sand and put them back down - not ideal but might buy a year so you can save and get someone to put them down properly?

If you don't mind me asking, why don't you want to fight it? It seems horrifically unfair

I'm not very good at this sort of thing but I think maybe planting is the way forward .
The only thing that I know is cheap ( because I could post you some ) is a hardy spreading geranium .It's evergreen ,flowers ,spreads ,will grow in poor gravelly soil .You just cut it back after flowering .

Or I'm a big fan of lamium because it spreads and is evergreen and unfussy and again I could send you some .

What I'd like to suggest though is tall ornamental grasses ,which I have none of and don't know if they could be got cheaply .But there are grass experts on here I know .

Maybe this www.ebay.co.uk/itm/STIPA-ARUNDINACEA-PHEASANTS-TAIL-GRASS-ANEMANTHELE-LESSONIANA-EVERGREEN-GARDEN/332285199918?_trkparms=aid%3D222007%26algo%3DSIM.MBE%26ao%3D2%26asc%3D20140122125356%26meid%3Dcd2e4f535d4e4eb1984c96a5da869391%26pid%3D100005%26rk%3D6%26rkt%3D6%26sd%3D232433374449&_trksid=p2047675.c100005.m1851

I would just gravel it - you could use the flags to mark out a path if you want one. Put a weed membrane down first as it will help stop weeds coming up. Weve done this at the back and side of the house a i like it because it allows rain water to soak down into the ground and is a good burglar deterrent because of the crunch walking on it.

Thanks all! Yes, I had thought about just putting weed matting down and possibly cementing a small paver border on the existing flags. Then tipping shedloads of gravel on it...

I don't think I can plant on it as it's not deep soil...although happy to be proved wrong.

I've spent all day digging out the back flower bed which was also ripped up when the supporting wall was built. I ache from head to toe!!

@sunnyhills thank you for your recommendation! The flower bed I have duh our is full of pebbly soil. Will geraniums thrive in there too?? I'll post a photo...

This flower bed. I dug it out and actually found a rockery underneath

I'm going to continue to dig it out further tomorrow. Do you think I can plant in it??

Kosmo .I'm such a novice my advice can't be relied on but I think the geraniums would grow yes .

What was there before you dug it out ( you've done loads of work ,you're not going to be unable to move tomorrow! )? Have you some soil left ?

I have plenty of pebbly soil left but I've been dumping that in a trench at the bottom of the garden. I was going to buy more pure soil...or just mat the flower bed and gravel that also!

I would love to find a way to hide the breeze block with clever planting, but underneath the edging is pure concrete and I've popped a few inches of soil on top. The worry is as well that the neighbour will one day want to put a wall up, therefore any planting I do close to the breeze block will have to come up.

I am half way through a bottle of wine...it's helping with the aches! I am stiff as a board

Sorry, before I dug it out, it was just a mass of rubble that the next door neighbour left. It was pretty before, with a concrete paved pattern but that was thrown out by next door's builders. I found the rockery underneath a layer of pebbly soil.

I know the neighbour is unreasonable but I'm over it. That's why I just need to make the best of a bad job. I'm grateful for those who have posted clever cover-up tips.

Can you ask neighbour to help to make it look good, seeing as he/she used it to their advantage to build their house? I'm thinking contributions towards plants, tubs etc?

Mmm ,so at the side of the house opposite the wheelie bins it's pure concrete and a little soil on top .
And at the back you've uncovered a rockery .
Is that right ?

Tricky ,though I just know there are people on here who could help if they read your thread .
I guess it's going to have to be containers on the bit opposite the bins .Surrounded by gravel ,or bark if you can't afford gravel ?

I think you'd need large containers to look ok and they're so expensive .Could you do something clever with pallets lined with bin liners ?
Spray painted dustbins with drainage holes drilled ??

And at the back work with the rockery ?

this www.hometalk.com/10012361/third-and-last-painted-file-cabinet-to-garden-planter-sungold-yellow is the best idea i can find for homemade planters .

Sunny, yes, that's right. The bins can be moved though so I can think about prettying the whole side of the house up.

I hadn't thought about bark! Bark and homemade planters could work for sure.

I will dig out the flower bed further but I know that, if all motivation to plant fails, I can gravel that bed. The drive way however needs much more planning.

Sunny, thank you!

Thenightsky, I can't ask the neighbour. It's not worth posting why, but three years later, I just need to fix it myself

If you use bark I'd suggest getting the smaller pieces one .And you need some kind of edging to stop it spreading .
There are loads of different types of edging
www.primrose.co.uk/inground-c-66_10582.html
I've used cheap plastic stuff from poundstretcher/B&Q .

I would love to use stone chippings and expensive edging ,but needs must when money is scarce!
If you do decide on planters I'd recommend getting black .
Something like this
www.amazon.co.uk/GARDEN-BARREL-PLANTER-PLASTIC-DIAMETER/dp/B007G8O2OO/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1502349711&sr=8-7&keywords=black+barrel+planter&tag=mumsnetforum-21

www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B008KZTVOS/ref=pd_sbs_86_1?ie=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=1FKFNRYGG0VXXJX560ZA&tag=mumsnetforum-21

I've found that mixing vermiculite into the compost in containers really helps with water retention .

Thanks Sunnyhills! Would you mind looking at these photos? Is one of these a geranium?

Would one of these spread?

Ah it won't let me post them. I'll try later.

I find begonias grow in very little soils and thicken out. I have them in terracotta bowls in 5 " of compost and they last forever.