Can't make any plant suggestions unless you tell us where you are located - agaves and elephant ears won't grow everywhere :-)

And can you explain what you mean by "modern landscaping"? Contemporary style (won't fit well with the architecture)? Minimalist? Or just something more creative and up to date than boxwood? :-)) And do you just want plantings around the base of the porches or to expand into the lawn area with island or tree beds (somewhat like the above rendering)?

I would always consider replacing the walkways. With older homes, the walks are usually cracked and uneven with time and without fail, far too narrow.

There is nothing modern about the house so why would you want modern landscaping ideas.

We live in east Texas. Longview Texas to be exact...agave, and elephant ears grow just fine here. :) and when I say modern I mean something that has clean lines, form and function, repetition, somewhat simplistic while still having visual interest and depth. Not to be confused with anything ultra-contemporary (I'm not looking to turn our yard into one giant zen garden, our rip out all the grass to do xeriscaping full of rocks and gravel). Though, I DO like a lot of plants that are used in contemporary landscaping (agave, succulents, New Zealand grasses, etc). I think it is a mistake to think that one can only use the types of plants with "certain architectural styles". I have no problem mixing in evergreens and other more traditional styles plants, I am just not the type that likes a yard overfilled with different types of flowers and flowering bushes. And yes, I would like to extend landscaping beyond just bordering the porch. :) I'm open to different ideas on this :). And you hit the nail on the head about walkways, ours has a few cracks and uneven places! Do you think it would be best to keep it straight and just expand it slightly? Or do you think curving? Or some type of concrete, simple, stepping stones would be cool?

It looks like you have a large yard ( by my standards ... mine is postage stamp size, coastal So California), I would hire a landscape designer / architect to design both hardscape & landscape plans. Well worth the money. You'll be much happier in the long term. Btw, I believe you're probably aiming for a more casual, interesting landscaping rather than a strictly MCM look right?

Patricia colwell I am surprised a lot of times on here how often I find "pro" an non pro users that seem to be greatly lacking creative vision...to think that you can only implement modern design ideas in modern architecture is not only incorrect but also very stifling to ones creativity, innovation, and problem solving skills. As I stated in my original post, we are updating the exterior of our home. Not to try and change the style of the house or to make it something it clearly is not. But to give it updates, a cleaner appearance, a chic and timeless look. :) you can absolutely do the same with landscaping, with clean lines modern touches, and blending of styles while not overreaching. As I stated in my comment above, I am not looking to rip out all of my grass and replace it with gravel, or any other ultra contemporary designs. But to think that I cannot have modern updated touches, just because my house is not MCM or otherwise...and to assume I must conform to traditional boxwoods and flowers? Nope, this is not so in my opinion :)

K Laurence you are absolutely correct!

That's why I asked for a clarification of what was meant by "modern" :-) I doubted you meant a very contemporary approach as it would be too great a contrast to a very traditional style, east TX home. But an updated or more modern palette of plants is certainly possible!!

I also agree that with such a large property, hiring a local designer is going to get you the biggest bang for your buck. While we could make some layout suggestions (if more and closer photos provided), the actual plant selection and placement is best done with an onsite visit by a trained professional. They would also be able to help determine the best placement, layout and material choice for the walk.......we have no idea how it connects to anything else or how it is oriented on the property.

Just an aside, but the reformatting of the access of this forum via Design Dilemmas instead of just through GardenWeb seems to be prompting a lot of responses from pros that have absolutely nothing to do with landscaping or landscape design. And many of them less than helpful or meaningful because of that.

I would suggest also that you start collecting "inspiration photos" of landscapes you like so that when you do work with a landscaper they will have some idea of your style. And yes, there are no guarantees that you will find someone who "gets" your style so it's a really good idea to check out the designers portfolio and references before starting the consult. Or be willing to pay for just the consult which may cost you 500 bucks or more but realize you might not like the design or the price of their final offering. Or stick with one designer and go through the "re-write" process with them. But best to find someone who already specializes in your "look" to begin with. You might even take a look at some well done houses in your neighborhood and ask the people who they worked with.

Just an FYI, but an onsite consultation shouldn't run anywhere close to $500!! Consultations are not design plans but more just a verbal walk-through with various suggestions being made. If the suggestions appeal, then yes, you may want to go with that design consultant to develop a full, drafted, landscape plan.

I charge my hourly rate (not anywhere close to $500!) and a consult typically runs 1-2 hours, depending on the size of the property. And these consults often do morph into a full blown landscape design.

btw, good designers do not necessarily specialize in a "look" but design to the client's wishes/wants/needs.

If the walk curves but has no reason to do it, the potential for it to look contrived, is greater. Determining if it has a reason to curve would depend on its beginning and end as well as what's along the way. Not enough information is included in the photo. There's nothing wrong with a straight walk if it solves the problem and is made to look good. As Gardengal mentioned, the walk needs to be widened ... badly.

It's not asked about, but I think the house would look better if the paint scheme was the reverse: grey body/siding and white trim. I would not make the corner boards contrasting color as they are too thin to be featured.

The porch is vastly better if open to the lawn. I'd bring grass to the porch, but if it won't grow there on account of the shade of the overhang, a low groundcover, like dwarf mondo, could border the stoop. If bordered like that, it should not be a skinny line of plants but a wide strip. Another possibility is to add on to the stoop with additional masonry, bringing it out to where the grass will grow.

If you wish to get a handle on the design, even if using a local designer, you'll need begin converting any ideas you wish to employ into a plan. It starts with drawing a base plan (house footprint and existing major features: drive, walks, tree trunks, etc.) Once you have that, you can begin inserting ideas on a copy and "massaging" them into shape. If you want feedback along the way, you can always show it here.

Your house looks familiar - did you post on here before?

In general, modern landscapes have clean lines and repetition. There are some stories on Houzz, which you can search for.

Here's an example of repetition and clean lines.

In a landscape of relatively sparse grasses (I think the blue-gray here is Festuca Glauca) a lush, leafy planting looks great.

Another modern touch is simplicity. Here's one with what looks like Canna, it has big leaves and repetition

Widening your walk and flanking it with plants works well. You can then punctuate with more height at the stairs and/or the curb.

You have plenty of shade which reduces your choices a bit. Some Agave grow in shade but you need to choose the right ones. Elephant ear likes shade too but needs regular water. I would plan some beds for dry plants and a different bed for plants that require watering.

I don't like a lot of plantings around a porch such as you have. What Yardvaark indicates is perfect.

It would help to hire a designer and you should indicate how much time you are able to tend to a garden. You can purchase the design and do the work yourself.

I hope you will share updates, your goals are very interesting.

Huh, that was the going rate that I paid for a consult, but the job was a waterfall and was pretty big. Ten years ago I paid $350.

I usually do 3-5 consultations a week, even more in the spring planting rush. If that was the going rate here, I would gladly forgo doing any more actual plotted and drafted landscape designs and just restrict my business to consutations!! Easy-peasy stuff with a quick in-and-out compared to the time and effort involved with a full-blown design plan.

Well, it was a consult that led to a quote, so it was also the time of spec-ing out the job and making the quote. And the $350 was for a consult and a rough draft plan, so I guess I was too imprecise in what I was describing. But anyway Vanessa, I would suggest reviewing portfolios online and testing the waters and see what the going rate is in your neck of the woods. Houzz seems to be a possible source of some contacts . . .

Next step would be to beef up the posts and remove the curly Q's at the top.

Angel18432 I agree! Our next steps are painting the shutters and removing the corbels/detailing on the posts and wrapping them with wood to be just straight posts..then staining that wood of course!

Gardengal48 thank you so much for the info about ALPD...I had no idea such a thing existed!! And deciding on a landscape company is obviously one of my first steps to take...and a pretty scary one!!

Sigrid- thank you so much for the inspiration photos and the specific information on modern landscaping! I was wondering if I should flank the walkway with plants or not! I definitely do want to widen it. Now, you say taller plants near stairs and/or curb. Would you avoid doing taller plants near the house? I read an article about optical illusions and linear perspective saying that you would want the taller/larger items to be nearest to the viewer...which sounds similiar to what you are saying about tall plants being near the curb..?

Emmarene thank you for your advice!! I wasn't sure about doing different beds with watering needs, it has something I hoped would be possible! Would they need to be on different sides of the yard, as in not connected at all? And that's a great idea to pay for a design and do the work myself...I love gardening, updating, renovating...and any DIY REALLY. Haha. Yes, we do have some shady spots due to 2-3 mature trees in the yard. However, we do have quite a bit of evening sun as well, the long side of our house that also has the garage faces west. The front/corner is SW and the front door faces west. My husband removed the rest of the boxwoods from the side porch this weekend and I (started) painting the shutters. I'll update with photos tomorrow!

You might enjoy the before and after of The Brick House - http://www.the-brick-house.com/2015/06/landscaping/  - and here is their plans http://www.the-brick-house.com/2011/04/landscape-2/ 

Love The Brick House

Vanessa the designer will know how to combine the various plants you like. I live in California in the inland valley where it can get very hot. It is a goal for most to use less water but most people have a section of plants that take more water. Often it is a favored plant that the homeowner cannot bear to give up. I also have a small bit of lawn in my front yard. For the thirsty plants it is important to have mulch so the soil does not dry out as quickly.

Emmarene here's some update photos!

If you're trying to create different dimensions and textures, consider using a few boulders in your design. We recommend an odd number, we have a guide to adding boulders you can check out here. You can also edge/line plant beds with chunky crushed rock in larger sizes to add some height and interest around plants. Different colors can be used as ground cover to define different parts of your landscape. Best of luck to you, you've had a lot of great suggestions on here!

I did not expect an update so soon. You have been busy.

Now that I can see the side yard better it looks as if some lawn died due to shade. Could that be right? Anyway, i am move to share an idea I was too timid to bring up before. I think that right side would be a great area for a large bed of decomposed granite. I am actually not qualified to shape a bed design so don't take this too seriously.

You might be able to plant some sun plants closer to the sidewalk. In order to be done right you must excavate about four or five inches of soil I think. It would provide a non muddy path to the side door when it rains. Use as many or as few plants as you like. Mulch would work too and you only have to excavate 3 inches I think. With you being in Texas I like the idea of the DG.

Fall is planting time where I live. I've been doing a lot of nursery browsing. Did you know there are some Agaves that don't get huge? I have never wanted one because I don't have place for a big specimen but I am now reconsidering.

I know I made that curve in the wrong direction. Just consider the idea.