Have you pressure-washed the sidewalks already this year? That could change the appearance. For rocks, I'd go with a maximum of two shapes: the existing flagstone and one rounded rock style.

Thanks, apple_pie_order. I can see how too many shapes could get incoherent. So I should use the Alabama Sunset between the flagstones instead of crushed gravel?

(When I first got a power washer it was so effective I used it on everything! But then wondered if I may have inadvertedly pitted smooth limestone surfaces and concrete causing more/worse grime retention. So now I scrub on hands and knees. It's a lot more time/labor intensive.)

Step one is to figure out where in the world you are. Rock landscaping is extremely high maintenance anywhere it rains. Add in a wooded location, and you have invented weed nirvana.

If you want something simple, replace the stone with appropriate groundcovers. The hostas are a good start, so long as you don't have deer.

I'd use the bigger rocks, not gravel, because you already tried the gravel and didn't like it.

There may be concrete sealers that you can use after power washing. Ask a concrete contractor what they recommend. Sometimes concrete is so old and porous it's just like a sponge for keeping dirt in nooks and crannies. Worth checking out to see what's possible.

Love the appearance of maintenance free natural grass clumps in contrast with rock walls.

To me, seems you have enough hard surfaces - and the black lines around the stones add hard angles. So I like idea of a mass planting of one soft something, and a bit of other for variety.

Rock is a pain! Spent 2 years digging it out of flower beds. If you think it will do well in your area, consider a Japanese raked garden. I would pull some red into the area to go with the chimneys. Try some lighting too.

Japanese Inspired Garden · More Info

Small interior Zen garden · More Info

Looks ;ike it's going to be a great space

Thank you all! These are ideas I wouldn't have thought of myself!

Conditions: Middle of the middle of the US. Snow/rain. Trees overhead (sun/shade, leaves, twigs, acorns.) Deer (the only hostas they haven't decimated are the ones close to the house.)

I'm reluctant to tear out the boxwoods and hostas, but I do like simple MCM/Eichler landscaping of gravel and grasses. Would that be too desert-y for the midwest? (actually the midwest is like a tropical rainforest these days with all this heavy, endless rain.......)

Again, thank you for the MCM photos. Such beautiful homes and landscaping!

Good to talk about the old Prairie grasses - they like the Midwest I'm pretty sure. :)

Though a bit raggedy looking maybe, I like red-twigged dogwood...

Online: Deer-proof bushes can also bring interest to the landscape in the winter when there is little else showing color in the yard. Christmas berry (Heteromeles arbutifolia), a drought resistant native evergreen, produces fluffy white flowers in sprays. During the winter, large clusters of bright red berries attract the birds to the landscape.

Arctic Sun red twig dogwood (Cornus sanguine “Cato”) reaches 3 to 4 feet tall and wide in USDA zones 4 through 9. During the summer, the shrub is covered with white flowers and golden-yellow leaves. When this deciduous bush drops its leaves in the fall, bright yellow stems tipped with red are visible all winter.

Arctic Sun™ Red Twig Dogwood · More Info

https://www.houzz.com/photos/arctic-sun™-red-twig-dogwood-rustic-landscape-grand-rapids-phvw-vp~7490817

I'd think the solid red stems would be nice, other varieties to see...

"Distinctively puckered, glossy foliage of Pucker Up! red twig dogwood stands out. Compact growth and bright red stems add to this native's shrub's year-round appeal. 3-4' in height. Full Sun/Part Shade in USDA Zones 3- 8."

Pucker Up!®Red Twig Dogwood · More Info

myrtle! loves shade, spreads will, absorbs acorns et al. will need to trim at edges of sidewalk and big rock, but otherwise should go pretty low-maintenance. vinca minor.

It would have been nice to have clump grasses where the dwarf boxwoods are, and red-twig dogwood where the hostas are. Drat. I fell back on the most unimaginative solutions.

btw......an artist I know uses native redosier dogwood for building furniture and decor objects. He calls it "swamp willow"......apparently grows wild in northern states and somewhat aggressive in wetlands. Strong but flexible, with those beautiful smooth red stems. I'd love to have a stock of it here to make stuff with if it would take to a warmer zone!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cornus_sericea

The hostas will die back completely in winter, leaving this front door area looking barren. Something with winter interest like Red Twig Dogwood would have been a better choice. But I'm stuck with hostas for now. And that great big rock. Any way to make things work with what I've got?

Nice space. If you’re looking for ground cover check out the Stepables plant site. I found it extremely helpful when planning for my woodland garden. It’s a well-organized site that offers plant suggestions based on your conditions. https://www.stepables.com

WOW, Dig Doug's Designs! That looks really cool! What kind of Lenten Rose grows so tall? Does it remain green in winter? What were you figuring for the low green between the stepping stones? Beautiful rendering......thank you!!!

Three more photos. Hope they help! After photo #1, I took out more rocks, hoping it might inspire me to see the space in a different way. But it did not help......if anything it just looks worse to me.......

I divided my hostas as I was told to do! and maybe look into moving them.

Night lighting would draw eyes toward that area and texture of the stones...

I like DigDoug's idea of sectioning off gravel areas with edging, as it could help create structure that would incorporate the big rock, which as it is just seems to sit there unrelated to anything.

That is a really interesting website for low growing perennials, cbezak. Thank you!

The low green areas are moss.

https://thegardeningcook.com/how-to-grow-helleborus-perennial/

Thanks for the link for Hellebores (Lenten Rose)! Could they be squeezed in with the hostas or would some hostas would have to go? Also wondering if Hellebores would actually be taller than the hostas. I do think a vertical element would be a good addition there.

Would the stepping stone area look good with 5/8 clean white/grey limestone gravel rather than moss?

say you have greenhouses, or rustic looks on property, consider a natural look at front area...repeating a particular shrub, or plant at another spot you think "deserves" / has a focus for it.