Is there any possibility of reorienting the steps so that they directly in front of the door rather than to the side?

Did a little mock up. If you can move the steps to front it gives your house better curb appeal. Then can make your bed larger. You can have another walkway to driveway in front of the bed on right. It would be nice to widen the steps as you go down them.

Hi Nancy, thanks for the mockup! I love that idea, but I have 4 huge boxwoods there that are 5 years old, and I'm not sure how I can transplant them safely :(

I rather like the flat concrete w/ the stones if you tear out all that hardscape stuff below the steps. Plant some flowers in an arc in front of the boxwood. No, do not start the bed there. Start the bed from the concrete/stones and go straight down the driveway. Plant the tree about even with the windows in the shadow area of the first picture. That will be quite enought to keep! I think it will look very pretty.

You could plant flowers under the tree, or put a container or three going up your steps. if you want more blooming and color, esp since your home is neutrals.

Consider finishing your sidewalk renovation before you install your new planting area. From experience I know that contractors are NOT careful around plants and the bed and everything growing in it will get trampled.

As for the Norway Spruce - where along that edge of your drive do you get the most sun? That's probably where the tree should go. At maturity, it will take up a lot of space.

If you put some curves to the new bed shape, and I think that looks more natural than a straight line, be sure to curve out where the tree will be. You can use your garden hose to find your preferred shape for the bed just by laying the hose out on the ground and moving it around until you are happy. Advice I follow myself and give to my friends is to use the hose to layout a new area and then ADD 2-3 feet of depth to the bed. The area may look overly generous when it is empty, but once you get planting it you'll see how the scale shrinks.

I agree with rudy4dawgs that curves will look good. Your house and garden currently have many straight lines, so curves would add interest. My sister has a similar house: she replaced the original straight path to front door with a wavy one and it looks great. You could also add curved flower beds along the street side.

Thank you king3253, rudy4dawgs, and Ann! I never thought about flowers in front of the boxwoods, that's a great idea! I also think I will add some curves in as well to give is more interest. :)

You don't mention what climate zone you are in. I agree with adding curves, way too many straight lines. You also don't mention if you want a formal vs casual look. I would personally get rid of the boxwoods and cut perimeter beds using the hose idea. Works very well. Cut out the grass and have some fun with colorful shrubs. This front yard used to have all grass which I took out and added lots of azaleas and perennials like hostas along with the bench and walkway to the bench. Have fun and lose all that grass.

Don't let the boxwoods stop you from pursuing some sprucing up ideas. Personally, I find them not very attractive plants, and if they don't make it thru the transplant, no big loss there.

You have a lot of exposed siding to the right of your door where that little sidewalk area now is. Put a tall bush wither the windows aren't and something else in front of the windows that may add some visual interest. If you're in an area where hydrangeas do well, that would be beautiful in the summer.

Also the Nandina comes in a variety of shapes/sizes, I like the tall upright one that grows to about 8 ft. Needs no trimming, won't get too tall, has red berries in the winter...

http://www.brighterblooms.com/product/domestica-nandina.html

http://www.gardeningwithherbee.com/Nandina.html

I really like the curved bed idea and totally agree with completing your hard scape renovation first. I live in North Central Texas where front lawns are really a drain on our water supply so I am in favor of limiting lawns whenever possible. However, for most of us this has to be a step by step process and yes garden beds require a lot of maintenance so size accordingly. I like to use large stones as landscape features. They add a lot of visual interest. Your home is lovely.

The entry door needs a straightened approach which "waves" through a replanted front yard(remove turf), where randomized shrubs (not Buxus) and semi-woody perennials present a new setting for the house. Existing trees may require correct pruning at proper calendar date. Consider importing 10-15 yd engineered topsoil and boulders to help redefine the setting and connect with the "wild" again. Such effects always become the talk of the neighborhood and start a revolution !

Boxwoods are not hard to transplant. I 've never lost one and have moved some large plants. There should be plenty of info online to tell you how.

I would put up a railing first by the door, minimize safety hazard, and bring interest to the front door. leave the box woods, tear out the entire concrete and brick walk way, replace with a nice curved flower bed. Replace the bricks with a nice paver that extends all the way to the curb
The black walk needs to go adap.

Thank you again for all of the wonderful ideas! I should have mentioned, I live in the suburbs of Toronto, Canada.

I do love the look of "english" gardens, but prefer for the front of the house to have a more modern appeal. We put the new front door in when we did interior renovations, and soon new black windows and shutters. I like the idea of ripping out the steps and putting the big slabs since they're not too expensive and give a modern feel.

On the side of our house, we have more of a random mix of items, and it's more focused on landscaping for birds/bees/etc... so there's tons of perennials and also evergreens/bushes.

This is our first home (late 20s/early 30s), so we're trying the best we can without spending too much all at once. :)

Wow, ebc3, I love both pictures/ideas! The first one is really incredible. It was hard to imagine a way for it to look modern, but that looks very clean and I like the railing placement. The landscaping you did in the first picture really balances the house nicely. Thank you so much for posting both pictures and explaining them so well! :)

ebc3 picture #1 is terrific. Black metal handrail looks great with house, stays with modern feel. Pavers would add interest, but concrete might be less expensive (for now). Curved bed on one side is great: just be sure that if you plant an evergreen, you get one that won't tower over the house in 20 years.

ebc3 - Your first picture with wider steps facing the street opens up the look of the house and says "welcome". Then the curved walk softens the hard lines of the house. I would do away with the old walkway completely. The black railings are great. What a change in appearance this gives!!!