The wide expanse of driveway in front of Peter and Lindsey Sones' house was functional, but there was plenty not to like about it.

The long, winding drive leading up to their Druid Hills home ended near a narrow parking pad that left little room for turning around. And if visitors didn't want to back out to the street, they were tempted to pull up to the entrance to the side garage, which brought cars to the front door. Besides, the massive square of aggregate concrete didn't lend the stately, brick traditional home very much curb appeal.

Before photo of the home and driveway.
Charlotte B. Teagle / AJC (ENLARGE)
Fieldstone and brick were used to create the medallion, a pair of overlapping ellipses that play off the entryway arch. Planting beds emphasize shade-loving varieties, with room for seasonal color.
(ENLARGE)
To solve the turning-radius problem, Flowers added a brick turnaround, at left, which balances the existing brick parking pad, at right.
(ENLARGE)
Flowers' curved arbor mirrors the home's entryway arch; a statue gives the courtyard a focal point.
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"The garden was pretty much a disaster," says Lindsey, who loves to entertain outdoors. "But at the same time, we didn't want to rip out the whole driveway."

Tom Flowers had a better alternative: Why not create a multiuse space that improves parking while tying the landscape to their architecture?

Sold on the idea, the Soneses hired the Atlanta landscape architect to redesign a driveway so that it doubles as a formal, romantic courtyard for entertaining.

"It's all about lifestyle," Flowers says.

"And enhancing the lifestyle you already have," Lindsey adds.

Flowers found inspiration for the redesign in an archway over the front door. By mirroring the curved shape in an elliptical driveway medallion and a semicircular arbor, he was able to enhance the architecture.

The project

The work began last spring by adding a narrow brick surface adjacent to the parking pad so that guests had more room for turning around. A pair of lantern-topped pillars was erected at the top of the drive to discourage visitors from parking in the courtyard.

At the courtyard's center, concrete was carved out to create the medallion — two overlapping ellipses of Tennessee fieldstone filled in with dry-laid brick, highlighted by a fieldstone diamond in the middle.

To lend some balance to the three-car side garage, Flowers designed a cedar arbor on the courtyard's opposite side. A statue surrounded by seasonal plantings provides a focal point, and borders edging the courtyard emphasize shade-tolerant plants, including boxwoods, camellias, hydrangeas, pieris, sweetbox, hostas and liriope.

The challenges

The day after the hardscaping was complete, the big tree in the front yard, which served as a natural focal point when looking from the courtyard to the street, was struck by lightning, Flowers says. The Soneses ended up removing the giant oak, which then opened the lawn to sunlight and alternative plantings.

The midsummer heat posed a big gamble for planting, so the Soneses opted to wait until safer temperatures returned in the fall. "Looking back, I would have waited to start, because by not being able to plant, we had to look at the unfinished project most of the summer," Lindsey says.

The changes

The Soneses were able to save money on the $30,000 redesign, which included irrigation and lighting, by reusing many existing shrubs, which Flowers maintained in a makeshift nursery he established on-site. Also, the couple opted for a statue in the courtyard instead of a fountain. Flowers had recommended the water feature so its sound would enhance the atmosphere when entertaining. "But at this point in our lives," Lindsey says, "we decided we just didn't want the maintenance."

In the end, she and her husband couldn't be more pleased. "This is really the kind of garden, with all the formality, that I've always loved," says Lindsey, who can't wait to test the new courtyard with birthday and holiday celebrations.

And for once they're assured there will be plenty of wiggle room for parking.

Food for thought

Planning a multi-use landscape space? Here's some advice from landscape architect Tom Flowers of Sanctum Design Group:

• Determine how your space will be used. How much time do family members spend outdoors — a little, or a lot? Depending on the answer, a multi-use design may work best — a place for guests to arrive, a place for kids to play, a place to plant your kitchen garden.

• Be realistic about maintenance. Consider the amount of time you're willing and able to devote to gardening. Some gardens demand more TLC than others.

• Consider your entire landscape budget. Even if you plan to tackle the project in phases, taking into account the whole picture will save you time, money and aggravation (you don't want to deal with the same area twice). Consider site preparation, drainage, hardscaping and plantings as a whole.

• Choose materials and plants that complement your home's architecture.