ideas for my new driveway?

[vurtual]

Ok, I've got a moderate driveway that needs sorting, and I wondered if anyone had any good ideas on how to do it in a sustainable way, and particularly to encourage some wildlife

[Corey]

moderate driveway? moderate drive way in city is only 25 ft or so.

its to vague to be able to offer help. Where do you live, in a wooded area? prairie? in city? suburb? swamp? wetland?? hillside?

go as native to nature as possible in the local area. Avoid turf grass. find out what the temp zone index for your area. Example here in the Midwest USA the temp zone has increased by 1-2 degrees thus plants from the state below us is appropriate for survival and the plants in our state are retreating to Canada. I live in Minnesota USA. Many of our cold weather trees are starting to die or look sick due to not being able to adapt to the temp change. Many of our trees needed winter freeze for proper growth since the roots aren't freezing in the winter like they are suppose too they are dieing.

hope this help a little till we get more info.

[vurtual]

i think it's 25x30ft, south east england suburb. I can currently accomodate two cars on the drive, and i'd like to keep it that way, for visitors etc because we're placed right on a bend. I think the main question is, are there any ideas for making an area suitable for occassional parking (ie visitors) but get as much grass as possible. I thing I've seen some rubber grids that you can lay and let grass grow through, but is still suitable for driving over without damaging the grass, are there any other ideas out there?

[Cleo]

Originally Posted by Corey

Many of our cold weather trees are starting to die or look sick due to not being able to adapt to the temp change. Many of our trees needed winter freeze for proper growth since the roots aren't freezing in the winter like they are suppose too they are dieing.

I don't find the first statement to be true at all. Would you be able to state more specific examples?

Would you also be able to explain the second statement in more detail? Are you stating that trees need their roots to freeze in the winter for proper growth?

Thanks.

[Corey]

Originally Posted by Cleo

I don't find the first statement to be true at all. Would you be able to state more specific examples?

Would you also be able to explain the second statement in more detail? Are you stating that trees need their roots to freeze in the winter for proper growth?

Thanks.

Its a combination of factors related to the climate change that are putting Minnesota hardwood forest at risk and killing it or changing it to a non hardwood of Minnesota's traditional hardwood. Minnesota is a winter/summer forest It needs winter for insect kill off such as the boring pine beetle. It also needs to freeze so as to store falls rain in and around the roots. Also the trees in the northern states shed there leaves and retract the fluids into the roots for winter keeping till spring. If there is not adequate freezing a couple of things happen the water in the root either dry or prematurely enter the above ground parts of the tree triggering premature budding. Winter freezing is vital for forests from Minnesota and north from Minnesota.

Oak, red and white pine, cotton wood, ash, (another species that looks kind of like ash but instead of the propeller seeds it has little balls with tiny seeds),
sugar maple. I live in "the city of trees" Rochester, MN USA

Arbor and DNR have updated out temp zone here in Minnesota Many of the trees we have would not survive in IOWA which is one state south. We are being told to plant trees native to Iowa instead of the traditional Minnesota hard wood.
Example of spacific species. Cotton woods especially ones ranging in the 5-10 year old are turning a sickly yellow. The ash variety is loosing its canopy by 1/2 or more depending where you look 1-50 years old. pines turning brown and loosing their needles plus are being eaten by the boring pine beetle(Minnesota, Canada, Alaska ){if you have seen the inconvenient truth you have seen a glimpse of this} . Dutch elm disease is running rampant due to the warmer climate. Oak leaves turning a dead brown and loosing there leaves many of these oaks range from 10-100 years of age. This is just of the species I am intimate with through past work.
By all means I am not saying every tree is like that I am just seeing the begining of it. Trees can't get up an move to another spot so to speak.

[Corey]

Originally Posted by vurtual

i think it's 25x30ft, south east england suburb. I can currently accomodate two cars on the drive, and i'd like to keep it that way, for visitors etc because we're placed right on a bend. I think the main question is, are there any ideas for making an area suitable for occassional parking (ie visitors) but get as much grass as possible. I thing I've seen some rubber grids that you can lay and let grass grow through, but is still suitable for driving over without damaging the grass, are there any other ideas out there?

My guess is your looking for the quick fix with minimal hassle little work as possible. You may have just answered your own question.

Here are some things to consider though turf grass is high maintenance. needs lot of water etc. We are going to be having water shortage in the near future so turf grass is not a real sustainable turf cover. What of letting the area go native and have a temporary mat track surface as wide as a tire (like the mat your referring too) that can be laid down only when you have company over. then you can put the temp matting away when visitors are not there. this would work if not a lot of company coming over. It is work but its the only environmentally friendly way I can see. That doesn't involve a lot of resources or paving over.