first you need to define how the front steps will be used.. and accessed from the driveway... in other words.. plan and build your path ..

and do it so you dont end up with impossible to plant 3 foot deep beds at your foundation.. design and build beds you can actually something in .. and if the parch will need painting.. yo need to stand in there to do it.. add that extra 2 feet of nothing right at the foundation.. so you dont kill everything next time you have to paint ...

can you give us pix from you standing in the middle of the road.. so we can see the whole front front yard ...

most likely you need a small flowering tree or shrub in the lawn.. between the road the the new walkway.. and then some nice perennials in the beds at the foundation .. like a red bud.. and perhaps a hardy magnolia.. like a star mag ....

https://duckduckgo.com/?t=ffab&q=star+magnolia&iax=images&ia=images

remember.. foundation plants are planted to hide the foundation.. NOT ON THE FOUNDATION...

ken

Duplicate post.