I decided to add at least one pic to give you an idea.

{{gwi:26067}}

Is there a reason why your front steps come down in two directions, instead of straight out the front?

I would have built a simpler front porch, wide and deep enough to be able to open the door without having to step back out of the way of the door, and with the steps in front rather than on the sides. This would make your front entry more of a focal point, instead of being hidden by the railing as it is now.

From there, add a simple path, at least 4 feet wide, that takes the most direct route from the driveway to the front door, slightly curved but with no unnecessary wiggles or loops. The idea is that guests, who will park in the driveway, can see immediately where they are supposed to go, using a walk that is wide enough to walk comfortably and safely to the door. This means no tripping hazards.

If you want to create some interest around the front entry, and small paved area where you can meet, greet, and say goodbyes right in front of the porch, is a possibility. I wouldn't make the path split into two sections, and the octagonal shape does not relate to the house in any way. A simple rectangle or square, in keeping with the simple architecture of the house, would be best, IMO.

This will leave you with sufficient space around the porch and walk to add plantings later on, as time, funds, and your knowledge of plant selection allow.

Saypoint, I agree with you. When I did the original sketch (i think it was titled sketch that led to poss. front 2 in photobucket) of the octogon, it was just a way to break free from the same ole boring stuff I kept doing. Just to get the imagination going. At that time we just had a small straight 2 step stoop. The idea in that sketch was a paved octagon, or outlined, then filled w/ sand and cross sections of logs. And I did the octagon to match the one's that were being worked on(never finished) in the back. Never actually thought we were going to attempt it.

But one weekend last summer, my husband decided he was bored and wanted to redo our boring front stoop. He had a bunch of wood out back and 20+ bags of cement in the garage (he's a sub-contractor). He wanted something different, unique, and happened to come across that sketch. Evidently he really like the octagon to match the back. The idea of making the porch part of the octagon was his, he plotted it out and decided to have it go down on either side and then the actual walkway take form into the octogon. By the end of the day he had the porch done, minus railing. He put the railing up and there it sits. I did the computer edited pic after the porch was built, trying to figure out the walk way since he was so set on it.

My biggest concern was resale. If we did the octagon in cement, it would take a lot of work to dig it up. So more recently the thought came up to do it w/ rock and bricks or something less permenant. But now we're not even sure if we want to do it at all. So now I'm trying to figure out something else, with out redoing the porch.

Maybe I'll just have one path off oneside of the porch and let the other side just be there. Actually, they both get used A LOT! Having the split stairs has been a bonus, but trying to make a walkway work with it! AHHH!!!

Not a landscaper at all, but I think it would be best to soften all the hard square lines and angles. I'd add posts to the front of the porch at either end and put up an arbor with vines, make the walk a circle which goes off to the right towards the driveway, and plant stuff in the middle, then put a shrub or small ornamental tree between the walk and the house to soften the corner where it meets the garage. Add a perennial bed that sweeps down around from the walk where it meets the drive and along the edge of the lawn.

Let me see if I can find a way to get a pic in here... note that this is a totally crappy mock-up...

Here is a link that might be useful: {{gwi:26065}}

Regarding the porch...my personal preference would be to make the steps on the garage side the "primary" steps with a more substantial walk. Give the steps on the left a landing and/or some stepping stones.

I do like the general concept in your sketch ("sketch that led to poss 2"). I am not sure I am crazy about your computer-edited version.

- Brent

I for the life of me can understand why the porch is offset from the front door? giboosi the arch does give the house alot more interest, maybe with a bench seat under the area. I also think shutters might be a nice thing to add although i am not sure one will fit to the small space next to the light fixture. I think if you could time them in with whatever color stone you are gonna use for the walkway would be nice, because i think a colored stone of some sort would be beautiful. Then a ornamental tree where you placed the one in your drawing, perfect location because it does not obstruct views, with a nice flower bed in that whole area. Also maybe a curved bed to the left side extending to the end of the house and of course the one in the middle circle in front of the arbor. Personally for the back, looks like you have neighbors from every side, i would put a privacy fence or some type of tree around my border, all i can think of now is row of pine although pine tree as a border all around your property line may look silly but great privacy. I am sure there will be other suggestions for this. As for the run off i would think you would need your lawn to slope somewhat to prevent that and am not sure why it was not done but now also may be a concern with run off onto neighbors property.

What type of lumber is the retaining wall by the basement entrance made of? It appears to be somthing less than 6x6...

Wow a blank slate for sure. It sucks you have to have stairs at the front entrance, does the possibility exist to add a little fill dirt there to eliminate steps (meaning are the foundation walls poured concrete, how high up were they poured etc.). Same complaint for the rear (meaning a deck when with more dirt a patio could have been accomplished).

The errosion could be stoped with planting. Is that occuring near/in the area of your downspouts? Wait a minute, you don't have any gutters! Where are you, up north where they would fill up with ice or something? Well I imagine you could create and area where the roof rain runoff lands on the ground and pipe away the rainwater (like a french drain) or they probably make something to catch roof runoff and prevent it from running down your recently graded soil with very little root protection from erosion....

IF the front stairs must remain, I think the stairs should exit straight out of the house, not to the left and right, you have no reason to need to go to the left of your front door... concrete steps with rod iron hand rails would be a plus too as that minimizes upkeep, however the rod iron would cost something of course.

I think for a pathway from driveway to door the geometric design you drew would work with the design of the home. Your husband could easily form up and pour that out of concrete, and the steps too...Can he stamp concrete? stain it?

I think you all have some more important "bones of the property" issue to address and spend money on prior to planting shrubary....

ymaddox- LOL, the door is offset because we have a side light window going in there this summer, along with a new front door. We have shutters, hubby just took them down last fall to see what it looked like w/o and never put them back up, plus I have to paint them. And we're planting spruces along one side of the property, don't want anything in the back on the otherside (towards the red house) because of the gorgeous view. I'd like to do a daylily border on that side, but I can't figure out how to do it because that neighbor dropped the land level about 1-2 feet at the property line. I have such an issue w/ rain runoffs causing big ditches back there, and I'm afraid to plant there, they might get washed away. Any ideas to fix that??

harleysilo- Oh man, don't ask about that retaining wall, it was a disaster!!!! It's interlocking 2x4's I think, w/ 6x6 vertical beams every 3 ft. It's staying until it finally breaks. It doesn't help that when they backfilled it they hit it w/ the dozer a couple times, so yeah, it's bent quite a bit, but hasn't gotten anyworse of the past year. I'm not sure about the foundation, the dirt is already raised up to the house (it slopes away) I don't think adding more to eliminate steps is an option. But I kinda like the idea, at least in the front. And yeah, no gutters, just were never put on, and we haven't bothered.

As for the octagon, I actually layed it out a few times, reworked it hear and there, and it actually looks halfway decent, and the path on the right is pretty much the same as if I curved it. Not that I'm justifying it, I'm really interested in hearing different ideas, I am so not set on it. My biggest concern right now is the rest of the property, trying to figure out how to deal w/ those ruts caused from the rain and how to and where I can put other beds. I almost think I just need to go out and plant something somewhere, anywhere, and go on from there! I'm backing off on the front of the house for a little bit, it seems if I think about it too much, I get fustrated and angry w/ my husband for starting something and not finishing it. I guess that goes for the back deck too lol!

Anyways, thanks for all the suggestions!! I am considering all ideas and comments! Please, keep them coming!