There are some good reasons that you might consider digging up some or all of your driveway to restore permeable surfaces and vegetation. Elizabeth Waddington outlines some of these reasons on www.treehugger.com. She points out that "when rain falls onto driveways and other areas of hard paving, it cannot soak into the ground. Instead it creates runoff, which collects harmful toxins and pollutants from the surface along the way, rather than being filtered and cleaned by plants and soil."*
If your driveway is old and due for resurfacing, consider replacing the entire driveway with permeable material. Another alternative is to just have a strip down the center that can be planted with low-growing vegetation and leaves the harder surface on the side for the car wheels. Waddington also points out that driveways are often constructed more wide than needed, so reclaiming area on the sides helps reduce the overall impermeable surface.
We reap multiple environmental benefits from reclaiming the area covered by driveway. Waddington points out that "we bring back biodiversity, keep things cooler, and aid people and the other creatures with whom we share our space. Your frontage will look much better, and the space you reclaim can be used for plants which bring a huge range of local and broader environmental benefits."*
*https://www.treehugger.com/dig-up-driveway-5441607?utm_campaign=treehugger&utm_medium=email&utm_source=cn_nl&utm_content=28210549&utm_term=
Photo by Brian Robinson, Flickr
If your driveway is old and due for resurfacing, consider replacing the entire driveway with permeable material. Another alternative is to just have a strip down the center that can be planted with low-growing vegetation and leaves the harder surface on the side for the car wheels. Waddington also points out that driveways are often constructed more wide than needed, so reclaiming area on the sides helps reduce the overall impermeable surface.
We reap multiple environmental benefits from reclaiming the area covered by driveway. Waddington points out that "we bring back biodiversity, keep things cooler, and aid people and the other creatures with whom we share our space. Your frontage will look much better, and the space you reclaim can be used for plants which bring a huge range of local and broader environmental benefits."*
*https://www.treehugger.com/dig-up-driveway-5441607?utm_campaign=treehugger&utm_medium=email&utm_source=cn_nl&utm_content=28210549&utm_term=
Photo by Brian Robinson, Flickr
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