Lol you’re gonna laugh if the picture actually uploads .... this was his sketch for the front ... said we should use a garden hose to lay it out and see what pattern we like ... said 6 feet at deepest point & 4 feet at shortest point.

I would not design a garden bed with waves like that. A simple curve will be visually appealing and easy to maintain.

Thank you! Your advice has been so spot on. Where would you have it curve?

I would just make one smooth curve, no waves. I’ve had waves, and they were a pain. It also seems that the space you have available is too small to introduce such busy elements as “waves” along a garden edge? But it’s difficult to tell from the photographs.

If you wanted to get into landscaping ideas, you might consider starting a new thread focused on that to avoid overwhelming this thread which is mainly focused on the front door and siding. If you did want to start a landscaping thread, provide a scale drawing on graph paper with hardscape, driveway, house edges clearly indicated. It will help the landscape designers immeasurably.

I’ve tried multiple times to post a picture of a garden bed; stupid Houzz.

It is a small area. I'll ask my husband if he can draw up something on graph paper for us. Thank you!

The curve can start at the bottom step and sweep to the left with the widest part at the corner of the house, sweeping around to end about 3-4 feet down the side of the house. You can put a small ornamental tree diagonally out from the corner of the house.

It will need to be somthing that doesn't get very big, like a dwarf crepe myrtle or a japanese maple. Don't place a tree in front of the bay window. You can have a nice plant in the inside corner of the steps as the landscaper shows. What plants did he recommend?

Sold. ^^ I love the taupy-gray and the landscaping.

A big colorful container arrangement for the right inside corner of the stairs,

Grover, I see a gate on the left side of the house... might not garden over that far?

also we need a pot on the right side of stairs..

I think she really needs the door trim kit, RL.

Thank you Grover and RL. The brick goes right up to the door... not sure how I could add any trim.... I would have to remove brick? That could be beyond my scope/abilities....

No need to remove brick. The guy in the video below makes his own trim, but you can buy them as kits, fancy or plain. https://www.architecturaldepot.com/door-trim-kits.html

I wouldn't sweat the redo of the flower bed. Not sure your zone, but at my house, the issue with beds along the driveway is A. I sometimes overshoot our crowded driveway and could run into them and B. Damage from salt or snow blowing of the driveway. We try to keep salt to a minimum but we have to use it more some years than other. Same with snow blowing. Plus with money being tight, putting garden beds near the house to highlight it gives you the most bang for your buck. The driveway is the last part I would want to frame. When you do get around to putting beds by the house, you can transplant your flowers from by the driveway.

Grover - could we add molding to the top? Only the top? The sides, there just isn’t enough room with the brick.

Thanks, Pink! We live in NY and last winter was very mild... but you make a great point - if we get snow & have to shovel or snow blow the driveway.... i can only go on that flower bed.

I think I’m going to move the last few plants and grab a few more pieces of sod to fill the flower bed and maybe come up with a good plan and plant in the spring. I’m tired!

RL, I really like how that little red tree looks!

I’d also like the idea of a larger tree in the middle of the lawn somewhere because the house faces west and BAKES in the sun. A little shade would be really nice.

I took a second, closer look, brett, and see what you mean about the brick. You could do something like this...

...but it looks a little dorky. Trim on the top alone looks even worse.

Haha Grover! Oh no! LOL I don’t want to do anything dorky!! I guess when we finally get the money to re-do the entire front and take off the brick to side the whole thing... we can add some trim to the door. Until then.... I’ll have to leave it as is.

I wouldnt sod to the front of the house it will look so unfinished especially after all this lol.

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><md>RL- oh I’m going to leave under the window for now as is. Throw down some mulch and maybe once September rolls around get some hay bails and some pumpkins, mums and make it look cute for fall.... then in Spring have a cohesive plan and plant accordingly.

Today- I’m going to pick up 3 pieces of sod that we can cut tomorrow morning and cover up the driveway flowerbed.

I have a toddler. I’m exhausted and tired of working in this heat. Lol I’m ready for winter.

In your situation, you really could benefit from a "foundation" planting to cover that awkward mix of siding, brick and then cement foundation. Don't overthink it. Some small shrubs that will go on sale end of fall and fall is a great time to plant.

I had a lot of luck with globe arborvitate, yew is great if you don't have deer, boxwood, azaleas or rhododendrons, SMALL hydrangeas, Miss Kim dwarf lilac, and Magic carpet or one of the other small spirea. "Spilled wine" weigela is getting popular here in MI. Or a dwarf mugo pine, small hollies, day lilies, a small japanese maple if you can find one (not the bloodgood, they get big) etc. All things easily procured at any big box store. Keep it simple. Arrange them in the store to see what looks nice. Or go to your trusty local nursery and get a good plant person to help you. Show them the house picture and they should have you set up in no time. Your issue is one of the most common. Just be sure to give the plants some room to grow and not too close to the house. It will look a tad sparse at first but better then than having to always cut back after they get too big, and regretting it. Can always fill in with pretty flowering annuals. Train the kid up to help you! ;)

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><md>Spent all weekend replacing the flower bed with sod ... some of the sod pieces might need to be replaced turned a little brown in spots... we also relocated the plants from the flower bed down to the area by the mailbox and also up by the window. Gonna spend the next few weekends taking a break from the house and enjoying the rest of summer. Oh- and I got a quote for the lights & that should happen in the next few weeks, then house numbers.

Pics didn’t upload earlier and my post was cut off by my phone ... trying again... sorry.

Nice perennial flowers near the mail box. What are the plants near the house?

Thank you! The plants up by the house had been with those other perennials along the driveway.... 2 are small boxwoods & the other 3 I think are called salvia. They look like cats mint but aren’t. They’re not permanently going to stay there ... but I had to move them for the sod to go down... I figure I’ll throw a hay bail up there soon closer to the grass with pumpkins and some scarecrows soon. I’m ready for fall!

It's looking really wonderful. The new sod is beautiful and the flowers are so pretty!

what came of the electrician?

Thank you! Here’s some before during and after pics!

They have to do stuff inside for the rest of the kitchen Reno & quoted 185 to add another light and change fixture. It should happen in the next few weeks I guess. I’ll share a pic when the light goes in :)

Very nice. Is salvia a perennial in your area? I have a nice deep blue that self seeds and comes back every year in my southern climate.

It was labeled as a perennial... I don’t have experience with the plant.

You’re doing a nice job, you must be happy with the changes.

Anna- yes- so happy! We’ve made such great progress. Next up, lights & new house numbers.

What are your plans for the right of the stairs? I think a big pot filled with seasonal plantings would look lovely.

Kay - ideally I think a wider porch would be nice .... but that requires permits, etc etc.
Folks have suggested a large pot with plants ... even like a small shrub kind of plant in a large pot. I just don’t know how to care for something like that... so I haven’t gone there yet. Maybe I could get a large pot and fill with mums for fall .... hmmm....

You can use it as a place to change out annuals. I‘ve used a pot of flowers, just as you buy it in the store, and set the pot into a more decorative one and when that annual had passed its prime, replaced it with another seasonal annual. I’m an avid gardener, and I find this an easy way to bring color seasonally into an area. Pansies do great in the spring here but once summer rolls around to hot Maryland, they‘re fried.

You can’t do that with market packs, just FYI.

Just an idea since you don’t seem to be the gardening type. :)

Oooh I like the idea of inserting one pot into the other... That seems do-able!

Anna - my front door is 79 inches tall and 35 inches wide. Could you tell me what size lamp you would suggest we use?

HD sells "Drop N Bloom" and Lowes has "Ready Refill" color cordinated container pots.

You would get a big pot and place something heavy in the bottom, like a brick, to keep it for blowing away. Place an upside down pot in the big pot to use as a lift. I sometimes use empty water bottles to take up the space. Place the color pot on top of that and fluff. Easy gardening, just remember to water.

Ooooooooohhhhhhh ok!!! I’ll go look at the stores. Thank you!

I would get three big planters of descending sizes for that little corner to the right of the stairs and get a mix of nice tall plants in them, along with lower trailing stuff. It would soften that corner.

Ok. How tall do you guys think these planters should be?

I'd like to see one almost as tall as your steps with more height added in with plantings.

At least 32 in., Taller than wide.

Here is a cost effective one in a blue that will show as an accent. But if you find a plastic one at a great price, you can use the Krylon or Rustoleum paints for plastic to make it any color you want.

This idea -

Like this?

Brettfelouzis, then the size of the light should be between 20” and 24” long. You could get away with 20” I think. Here’s what I did:: took some painter’s tape and marked out the lengths of the lights I considered by the door. Then I knew which way I was leaning.

The “heaviness” of the light plays a role I think, as well. The more metal there is, the more presence it has and thus is visually heavier and in such a case, I would likely choose a 20” option.

This is an example from my garage (my front door has a pendant, otherwise I would show it), these are 20” long. I would have gone longer but we couldn’t find any we liked.

In the end, you just have to try the light out and if you don’t like it, return it.

Anna- Your garage looks beautiful! Great idea with the tape too!! I’ll look for 20 inch lights & I’ll add some tape this weekend to get an idea for things. Thank you!

Hi Everyone! Here’s how it’s looking. We replaced the lawn last year but it got a fungus, so we are replacing it again this Labor Day weekend. I planted Incrediball hydrangeas along the brick, boxwoods in front of the hydrangeas. I’m thinking we might extend the flower bed to the end of the steps and over to the fence. Maybe a little tree by the gate ... maybe another tree close to the driveway in the middle of the lawn to give the bay window some shade. The house faces west. Any and all ideas are welcomed and appreciated!