Glad you are not paving the driveway…the gravel looks appropriate in that setting, it’s porous so it’s eco-beneficial, and the trees will not be disturbed 🥰, so I see no reason to change the driveway, just refresh the gravel. Not sure I understand the situation, but outlining the drive with boulders would really look nice and define/help to keep the gravel from creeping into the lawn.

The boulders will NOT be between the tree and the driveway. They will be behind (in this view) the tree, along that other driveway edge.

So we are looking at two driveways with a T intersection? Might need some pix showing how this all relates to the surroundings. Right now I’d say keep the gravel and skip the pavers.

tj

In our last home we had a gravel drive that was about 150 feet long from the street to our garage. My DH edged the entire drive with railroad ties & it really looked good.

I think the gravel looks nice in this setting, especially with mature trees and the barn. That said, there are functional reasons why something else might be nice (such as if you want to operate a snow blower). Are you wanting to make the change for aesthetic reasons or is there functionality that you aren't getting out of the gravel?

I DO want to use a snow blower, and that's the reason I originally wanted to pave this area. I changed my mind because in my area (Northern NY), blacktop driveways don't last very well without alot of maintenance. And it might harm these trees (one option we considered was to leave that short section unpaved, but pave the rest).

Last winter I did break alot of shear pins, so snow blowing is an issue.

I understand your dilemma. Perhaps someone here can do a mockup for you with pavers beyond the trees. Practically and aesthetically it seems like a good solution. Your area is gorgeous and I’m envious! Good luck and I hope some of our great mockup artists can help.

first pic.. tree on right.. does it have a giant lightening wound.. if so... i would just get rid of it now.. instead of designing around it...

or is it two trees???

or a tree right next to a telephone pole/???

how about a pic from those trees.. the other direction.. you really havent given us much of a look of the situation.. and i cant really understand how the drawing relates to the pic..

ken

ps: raise the height of the snow blower feet ........and dont try to blow down to dirt level... as long as you remove the drifts.. there is no reason you need to expose bare earth when you snow blow... second video implies the term is 'skids' ... rather than feet...

https://duckduckgo.com/?q=snow+blowing+dirt+driveway&t=ftsa&iax=videos&ia=videos

The tree on the right is a double tree. The snow blower has its feet lowered as much as possible (blade raised). Another view.

I have been following this thread, and could not see the area until the last picture you posted.

Seeing the area and your plans I don't think you are going to be satisfied with the gravel drive way and the some what formal terrace system on the side of the barn.

While you said that an asphalt drive way needed up keep, you will find that a gavel drive also needs a lot of upkeep also.

I would recommend paving the area with asphalt. I would start that as asphalt a dozen or so feet before the window end of the barn. As for the area between the two trees in the original messages; yes I would continue the asphalt between the trees but keep it only slightly wider than needed for a passenger car. I would also keep two trees in the upper quarter of the circle. instead of near the edge in the middle.

While you did not ask, I would also change the way the drive and the steps to the house interact. Instead of paving up to the house and steps. I would continue the brick wall in a gentle arch from the proposed wall at the bottom of the picture to the large rock. I would possibly mimic the type of wall you have around the terraces around the barn. At the foot of the porch I would add an attractive brick area (blue) to serve as the entrance way to the house. In the green areas I would plant some sort of flowering or green shrubs with some perennial flowers.

The changes around the entrance to the house would give a welcoming focal point coming up the drive

I don't expect the double trees are worth keeping.

I'm also skeptical on the amount of upkeep a macadam drive is going to take in your climate. I would have thought you were far enough north to escape the daily freeze/thaw that destroys pavement in the NY tropics.