204the driveway and under the
sidewalk, to a trench in the front
yard. We lined the trenches with
french drain pipe and gravel,
encased in geotextile cloth to
prevent dirt and roots from
blocking them. Once that was
done and more substrate was
added to level the driveway (still
at a gentle slope), we framed the
driveway and the paths where
wheels would go. We stabilized
the wheel paths by setting
cobblestones and pavers in a thin
base of cement, not much more
than an inch. When it was dry,
we filled in the top 4 inches and
all other areas with an organic
mix of soil. On the side closest to
the neighbours, we lay a roll of
sod to start the lawn; on the rest
of the driveway, we seeded white
clover, creeping thyme and grass,
and watched over time as the
native plants seeded themselves.
As soon as the driveway
was done, it was like the
whole neighbourhood came
by to marvel at the welcome
alternative of green space, and
I still get lovely comments from
passersby about the naturalness
of it. Neighbours on either side
have upgraded their asphalt
to pavers—still a conventional
upgrade, but a step in the right
direction—so our row of houses
looks nice and well kept. And
since my design included water
retention, I used Quebec’s GreenRenovation tax credit to offset
the costs.
Is it muddy in spring? Not
really. The city dries out and
the seedlings grow fast. Is there
any change to how I park? No.
How do I deal with it in winter? I
shovel only where the car and the
people go, and never down to the
soil. This means I only use salt on
the stairs and sidewalk.
I mow this mix of grass and
perennials about three times a
year. I start late, as an explosion
of violets took up residence above
the trenches in the front yard
and I can’t bear to mow until the
flowers have finished (to be fair, I
also planted tulips and crocuses
in the yard). I let it “go wild”
otherwise, but I do still weed
it, because while most native
species are beneficial or at least
benign, ragweed and burdock are
neither pretty nor particularly
neighbourly to keep around.
And now that it has been three
years, the payoff has dividends:
I brought a little slice of country
to the city, where I can walk
barefoot in the grass. Since I
retired my car, I put a Muskoka
chair in the corner by the garage
door, and there I supervise my
rabbits when they have time out.
I named it 1 Elation Way. The
birds, bees and butterflies that
come by to browse might feel the
same way. HHOME & DESIGN: GREEN DRIVEWAY