You guys are so amazing. I appreciate your hard work so much. If I can pay you for your time, please message me for the rendering.

Love simplynatural’s ideas! Makes your lovely house more welcoming!

debra

I am wondering if the reasons builders often leave the silly green strip to the right of the drive is to avoid the added width to the drive that Aimee is trying to avoid. Aimee, is there a limit, per code?

@emmarene9 …It’s called “saving $”

Here are some ideas based on the full photo of your front yard:

You've gotten better landscaping advice than I can provide, but just want to put my two cents in on safety. In my city (7a/8a), there are regulations against putting pine straw within 10 ft. of a structure due to the combustible nature of pine straw. Check your codes, it might turn into an insurance issue if it ignites for some reason such as a spark from neighbor's fire, kids playing with matches, etc. You don't have that much to fill in with ground cover, so using mulch won't cost much more and will be much safer.

@tozmo1, the builders used straw which I absolutely hate. It’s very cheap material. Was planning on replacing it with mulch until I saw a TikTok video where they said mulch near the foundation would scared me off, but I used mulch in my last house and had no problem. I just didn’t know what color I wanted to use. Brown or black. I think I wanted to get the plants and design decided before I touched the beds

Mulch near foundation would attract termites..forgot to finish my thought. Coffee hasn’t hit yet 🤪

My termite guy says no mulch within three feet of the foundation. You weren't going to plant anything within three feet of the foundation anyway so fill that space with river rock.

Well we just can't win, can we? 🤣 River rock is a nightmare to keep cleaned out but as long as you don't have trees, won't be a problem. As info, cedar mulch does not harbor termites (no mulch attracts termites, it just gives them a tasty meal when they get there and a safe harbor in the winter) and naturally contains thujone which deters insects.

I have cedar mulch around my house and have for over 20 years. The landscaper who does the work each year, clears off the old mulch and moves it to my back yard natural area far from the house before putting in new mulch. It's also the thickness of the mulch that gives termites a cozy winter home. He does the same thing with the pine straw I have in a front That's mostly for aesthetics because so many leaves fall in the pine straw bed far from the house. I use a hardwood mulch, not cedar, in the areas that are about 20 feet from the house. It's a juggling act but he's a great landscaper and has his process down.

Don't even get me started on pea gravel around natural bluestone I have in a walkway. Beautiful and love the permeability of it but boy is it hard to keep looking tidy.

All the best with your new home!

I feel all sorts of confused in what to do now because I have loved the renderings that have been created. I never thought of doing anything on the right hand side with expanding/creating a walkway. I hired a guy already for the left of my driveway for an 8’ concrete expansion, but now I want to do something with the right side. I just don’t want it to look like a parking lot. The full size rendering you did Doug is amazing, but that doesn’t look like 8’ on the left, so I can’t really tell what that would look like in addition to the right

Aimee, sounds like you need more off street parking regardless of your planning to keep 1 of the 3 vehicles your household has in the garage. It would be nicest to have the space closest to front porch open for both looks & 1 guest parking spot - means using the right side inside of your garage to park the car that’s home most often. Acheiving this function means you need 2 things. First is added driveway on left side & that makes most sense & will look the best. Looks like the sidewalk curbs are rolled from the street so that makes it easier - just make sure 8’ is wide enough. Maybe your Flame Maple could be moved to that side of yard? Can’t tell how much room there will be from top end of new drive to fence. That Flame Maple is also a huge & wide tree so it needs lots of space. The second project is widening the driveway on right side by the addition of a walkway from sidewalk to front entry. This creates a welcoming path to your front door from the sidewalk without having to go up the driveway between cars. It also creates a step on landing pad for the passengers getting out of that side of vehicle - instead of having to step onto lawn getting muddy & wearing a path into lawn. Last thing would be the addition of a much smaller tree planted farther away from the house - maybe a nice Japanese maple that maxes out at 12’ = 15’?

ETA– the walk way on right side could be stamped concrete or pavers. Maybe the guy you already hired will add to what he’s doing? The walkway should be at least as wide as your entry

I think that’s what I love about Houzz is you will come here with a project, and they will give you several other great ideas as well. This is my favorite site because of it.

Here are a few options showing the whole front.

The first keeps all existing concrete, adding a concrete driveway extension on the left and a shortened concrete walkway on the right, with the added areas edged with darker pavers that reference the house color. (The pavers help break up the "sea of concrete" appearance.) The biggest visual difference here comes from the two shade trees, which of course will take years to grow to that size, but you can imagine what could someday be. (I did move the existing flame maple to the right so it doesn't hide the house.)

The second option uses pavers for both driveway and walkway extensions, again with a contrasting paver border, and runs the walkway all the way to the street.

Or you could separate the added parking space a bit from the existing drive, with a garden or grass between, again to break up the expanse of pavement, although there would then be less step-out space for that area.

All three options show more garden than you might want. The standard low-maintenance landscaping recommendation is shrubs and mulch, but these show perennials as well. Assuming your area gets snow, I personally prefer perennials over shrubs near driveways and walkways, because the perennials disappear in the winter and snow can be piled over them without damage. Peonies, catmint, and hardy geraniums (I like 'Max Frei') are three easy care options, only needing the old stems cut down in early spring (and the geraniums don't even need that). The white-flowered shrubs could be hydrangeas (paniculata or smooth, many varieties available; check mature size). I would keep a few boxwoods for green in winter. (I don't know where you are, but these plants work in most eastern US areas with decent rainfall.)

A few more ideas to consider, anyway . . .

Great ideas & presentation from simplynatural! I like the 2nd & 3rd renditions of walkway the best - width going all the way to sidewalk. I would reduce the mature size of tree on right - I stick with my suggestion of smaller Japanese Maple. Will still have beautiful fall color but not a size that overwhelms. You said you’re in zone 8a so I don’t think you have much snow - as in the kind of snow northern tier or midwest sees in winter. I’m zone 8a & b in the PNW. We have snow & sometimes enough to close schools but that’s a major storm event for us. We don’t have the snow removal equipment for streets & ice storms from the rain then freeze are more concern for us.

ETA - do you have a gate to back yard on either side of house? Maybe you want a sidewalk added to gate from driveway on whichever side the gate is?

I do have a gate, but only one and it’s on the left hand side of the garage. I thought about doing a sidewalk path but wasn’t sure how my husband would feel about that with his riding lawnmower.

Oh my gosh SimplyNatural and Doug. These designs are gorgeous. It will make my discussions go sooo much smoother and now I can conceptualize this.

Tree will definitely be moved. I have a HUGE backyard, so I could always move it there if needed. I live in the South where we rarely get chances to see snow. We aren’t even experiencing fall yet.

Sorry, missed the 8A!

Japanese maple replacing one tree, as KW suggested.

It's always interesting to hear people's reaction to large trees. I grew up in New England, where every historic home was surrounded by towering, wide-spreading sugar maples. People lived their lives under the shade and shelter of these ancient trees. They were loved as members of the family, and no one ever thought they were too big. The loss of even one was a tragedy, leaving the house uncomfortably bare and exposed without them. Your call how you feel about them--but I will always plant trees!

Love how that looks! Thanks simplynatural! About the trees - I agree the loss of a tree is a tragedy & also love the appeal of old established neighborhoods with tree lined streets. I try to balance that with today’s usually smaller lot sizes and trees that grow too fast & overwhelm their spaces & infringe upon the neighbor’s spaces too. As well as so many maples planted in yards are not well suited for that purpose with their surface roots pushing up sidewalks, driveways, foundations and sometimes piercing sewer lines. The saying ”right plant right place” also applies to trees! 😊 And I do love Japanese Maples that do so well here in my PNW. I have 7 different types of Japanese Maples in my front and back yards. My favorite maple is Paper Bark / Acer Griseum - not a Japanese Maple - larger but much smaller than the 40-60’ giant maples. It has peeling bark the color of a cinnamon stick & the most heart stoppingly beautiful reddish orange color in fall. Its leave are oak leaf shaped rather than typical maple. Love them & had 3 at my last home.

I had a gorgeous dogwood tree in the backyard that I lost in a hurricane. I love trees, but à Bradford pear..I’ll chop that down in a heartbeat

@simplynatural, I can’t wait to show you my backyard. It’s sooo huge. They had room where they could have pushed my house back on the property line and given me an equal size front/back yard that people weren’t having to invest money to expand

We got one side done. 🥳

Looks good!

Still have to do the other side and I’m going to go with the shapes of the bed like you created, I just need to figure out great plants for zone 8a. I know I don’t have a green thumb so I need low maintenance

@simplynatural…how far up would you bring the stamped concrete border? My husband is determined now to not wanting to expand the right hand side because he says he thinks adding the stamped concrete border to the other side would be wide enough for a walkway. He says his worry is having barely any grass in the front of the house. Now I’m having regrets because I was like I gave you a freaking picture before I brought my concrete guy out here. Now you see it and now you’re like it looks like an addition and not like it was part of the original driveway natural look and just out of place

I'm assuming the new concrete is still fresh in your picture. It will hopefully cure and weather to a color closer to the original driveway. (Full cure takes at least 30 days.) It should then look less like a later addition.

As far as the right side, personally I would want a wider walkway than just one added stamped concrete border, which looks like it would only add a foot of width at most. If a car is parked on the right side of the driveway, people would still have to walk on the grass to get past it. I would want the walkway to match the entryway width at the house end, and I would extend that width at least as far as the rear door of a parked car, so everyone exiting the car has a secure place to stand and walk. The walkway could either angle back to the drive beyond that or extend to the street.

As for the lawn, I think a comfortable walkway matters more than a few feet of sacrificed grass, but you will have to choose which is more important to you.

My thoughts, anyway . . .

@simplynatural…I love your thoughts. It is a fresh pour, so I’m hoping you’re right and it just needs time to cure to look like like a later addition. The house was built in January, so the concrete in the driveway can’t be that far off in discoloration that it will look drastically different from the new pad.

I’m far from an artist, but where the black is would you do the stamped concrete and then fill in that bubble with concrete to create the walkway

Yes, basically--although I would probably stick to straight lines (straight out, then diagonal to driveway) rather than curves. Like the first photo in my post with the three options (4 days ago at the moment).

Aimee, I would go out to street with that walkway - think of someone walking down the street & coming to your front door. A walkway gives them a clear path away from cars in drive. It also makes the entry look much more ’important’. Also be mindful of not creating awkward spots to mow the grass. I agree with simplynatural about straight lines. Put the curves in the flower beds. The concrete will cure & be a closer match to the orignal since it’s not that old - just needs time. The stamped concrete is a nice distraction from any difference in color. .

There is no sidewalk along the street, though.

Oh no. There’s no sidewalk on the street at all. I hate the curved sidewalk too

I do understand there’s no sidewalk along the street. That’s not uncommon in many residential developments. But, people still do take walks, walk to their neighbor’s home etc. & they walk along the curbing in the street then up to the door. A walkway from the street to entry, so that guests don’t have to walk up driveway around the cars, is a very nice and welcoming entry to a home.

That would just be an extra 6’ x 21’ pad of concrete if I do the entire from current slab and extend it all the way down.

That would be a 9’ pad that I just poured, 16’ current driveway, and then an extra 6’ of concrete. That just feels like so much concrete. I’ve seen a 32’ wide driveway before but with a 3 car garage and still having lots of front yard left

Not quite following your math. How wide is the entry from the corner of garage to post on front porch? That’s the added width I’m thinking about & the width from current edge of drive to corner of house is what’s needed to provide a minimum step out landing for passengers in car. I also thought you were thinking stamped concrete for that added.width. simplynatural provided a great mock up in her 3rd picture in post showing options. The trees on both sides of house & wide planting beds soften all the lines of house & hard scape & creates a lush looking landscape with still a lot of green lawn. simplynatural also noted her mockup might have more garden than you want. I’d vote for more plants & less grass for easier maintenance with plants chosen for low water & maintenance needs.

So math isn’t my strong suit, but I measured from my entrance where that white column post is to the edge of that walkway beside my driveway and got 6’. Then my actual driveway is 16’ and the pad I just poured is 9’

I do agree with KW on the walkway coming out to the street. Think of occasions when you might have many people to your house. Christmas, Easter (if you’re Christians) cookouts, birthdays etc. if you’re a different religion, you will have your own holidays and events. Anyway, many people will have to park on the street and walk to your entry door. Walking up the drive and going around a car wii be extremely inconvenient and for some guests (older and younger). I think simplynatural’s design in the third picture is perfect. Not sure why your husband is worried about the grass. There seems to be plenty of room for it in either side of the house. Besides, the front yard plants and trees will really beautify your home. I think grass is over rated, but that’s my opinion. So many people want to put chemicals on it to keep it “perfect“ , those seep into the ground water and over all environment which is bad. Then you have to cut and water it when there’s no rain. Some small flowering shrubs and plants in front is so much prettier. Keep the grass to a minimum in front, I recall you saying you had a huge back yard. So there’s plenty of space for dogs and children to run and play. Good luck. Keep us posted.

debra

Okay Aimee, I get it now. Math isn’t a strength for me either 😁 But - your concern about adding a 6’ wide strip from entrance to street is that it would create a look of too much concrete, yes? I haven’t changed my vote from adding a walkway that starts at the street instead of starting it halfway up the length of driveway. There are other ways besides all concrete that it could be done but I’d be inclined to match the style you created on the left side of driveway. I’d leave that triangle piece at street end of driveway too since it wasn’t taken out on the left side. Maybe @simplynatural will do another mockup with your new concrete just poured & showing the right side with a matching but 3’ narrower section & a smaller planting area up around the entry. And, also include the flame maple over on the left side. I think you’d need to post an updated picture showing the current new front of house to make it easier. I don’t mean to be pushy but I think you’ll come to regret not putting in a full walkway to street.

You are worried about the look of too much concrete.

Stop pouring concrete.

Try pavers or something. You have a whole other thread about widening the driveway. What happened?

This is it now with the new concrete poured

I’m surprised my HOA hasn’t said anything about my stamped concrete because it’s not uniformed like the rest of the driveway expansions.

I just wanted to stand out and be different, address my issues with parking, start thinking about plants that are low maintenance, and not have my house look like a parking lot

Aimee, I had assumed that you know your HOA rules & are not doing anything outside of them. Did you need approval from HOA to add the driveway just poured? If others have already done that too, one would assume it’s allowable but maybe others already got their approvals? Is your neighborhood a new one & still being built? I’m curious if there’s already an existing HOA board or if the builder is ’running’ it until the development is built out & then there would be a handoff. Or, is a management company running it? I don’t mean to sidetrack your thread about how to complete your front yard hardscape project but just cautioning to be sure you have necessary approvals.

I already submitted my request for a driveway extension but I didn’t include a design. I have read my HoA bylaws cover to cover and all it says is uniformity. I’m not sure what that means. No one has said anything to me and it was approved and they didn’t give me criteria in the approval like they did with my fence, so I’m guessing I’m just being a worrier for nothing

Aimee, here's an edit of your photo of the extended driveway, with a walkway added to the door, no other changes, so you can see what that would look like immediately. (I used a wider stamped area between the driveway and the walkway, so the unstamped walkway aligns with the door opening. Ideally I would run that wider stamping all the way to the garage wall--or to a cut-out planting bed--but that would mean removing some existing concrete.)

Now, you're probably thinking that this looks like a lot of paving, and it is. It's a three-car driveway plus a walkway for people, all in a fairly small front yard. But look what happens when mature landscaping is added:

Now the eye sees the landscaping, the soft shapes, the color, the shifting shadows, not the expanse of paving. And yet there is room for cars to park and for people to walk in comfort.

You're making an investment in basic infrastructure that will serve you well for years to come, and your home will look better and better as you add plants and watch them grow. It really will be fine.

Wow - Aimee, Isn’t the mockup @simplynatural did great? I really do agree with everything she said. I agree with you about the HOA. You got your approval & weren’t asked for any other design info. I think uniformity means matching what’s there & / or what others have done - so I think not gravel & maybe not even pavers but concrete is okay. You mentioned in original post that you don’t have a green thumb & are planning to find a landscape architect. A suggestion is to ask at your local nursery - not a big box store but a plant nursery - if they have garden designers either on staff or who they can recommend. A garden designer can draw up a plan for you that fit your wants - low maintenance & evergreen with some spring bloomers & room to add annuals if you want. You can DIY or some garden designers do the plant installation work too.

Planning on going today to check out a garden nursery to see if I can find a landscaper because I agree @simplynatural, I think the look of the mature plants will shift the focus away from the concrete

Aimee, It’s very helpful to have pics of your yard with you when asking for gardening help - just like on this site, advice is so much easier to hand out when looking at an actual picture & not trying to imagine what’s being described. I also find it helpful to really look at other established yard landscapes to see what appeals to me in the plants used and the layout design used. That’s helpful when trying to visualize the layout a designer has presented to you. Don’t know your location but this is a good time of year to put plants into the ground! They grow roots all winter & are more established to withstand heat of next summer. Have fun with this stage of putting your personal stamp on your new home!

How do you know the right colors to choose for plants? Do you use complimentary colors from your house? i love nandinas, I hate boxwoods, i love flowers, but i would want something that comes back every year. i bought a sunshine ligustrum at my old house but ended up having to transplant it to another area despite the fact it said it wasnt going to get big. I live in SC, so zone 8a. Lots of clay.

For plants that will be close to the house I think it’s more important to choose plants that don’t clash or blend into the house color. That is, not a red or purple leafed plant or red bloomed plant (rose) in front of a red house - they’d disappear. Your house color won’t clash with anything so you’ve got lots of choices With your white trim, white blooms seem a natural choice for a really nice effect. In the second mock ups simplynatural did she added white blooming shrubs right at the entry - look at how the white shines & lights up the entry compared to your current entry - nice but darker look & nothing grabs the eye. She also used lots of white in all the other mockups. If you got a smaller Japanese Maple to replace the Flame Maple, a red leafed one would be lovely. It might turn either a brilliant orange or yellow in fall. There are lots of flowering shrubs that likely grow in SC - azaleas, hydrangea etc & these come in many colors & different bloom times But not all are evergreen - this is where a garden designer will help. I undertand not liking boxwoods - they have their uses but are too formal or structured so I don’t use them. Nandina is great for a lot of reasons & I have several different kinds around my house. There are many varieties but many are on invasive list in SC & their berries are toxic To birds. Again, a garden designer should help with figuring out a good substitute with similar attributes. Sunshine Ligustrum! I have 2 & they can indeed get very large. I prune one of mine frequently & the other not so much due to their locations in my yard. I love their yellow color. Maybe that’s a plant for your back yard? When I was planning & planting my new yard in my brand new house I found it helpful to walk through established neighborhoods looking at front yards for appealing landscapes and plants & snapping pics. I know other people do that. This past summer I was across my street at a neighbors & we watched a woman walk up to my home to the paver walkway across the top of my lawn, lean down & take a picture. I was walking back across the street & she saw me & explained she’d noted the ground cover around pavers & had been looking for something for a similar situation. She was thrilled to get the plant name from me - elfin thyme - and learn about it. I was of course delighted to share info.

Aimee, another thought about creating your landscape around your new home - don’t rush it. Take some time to have a plan in place. Moving the tree to the other side of your yard is the first thing I’d do because the sooner done the easier it will be because it’s a new planting now. Waiting until fall when leaves start dropping wold be perfect timing & less stress for tree. Remember too that a yard landscape itsn’t - or shouldn’t be - a once and done project. As plants grow or don’t work out, they should be moved to another location if they can be saved & replaced with a better fitting plant. Spoken like someone who likes to play in the yard I know!

When I choose plants, I'm thinking of the visual elements (size, shape, texture, color, formal/informal feel) and the practical elements (hardiness, light and soil requirements, ease of maintenance). In making these choices, the plant as a whole, which stays all season/year, is more important than the flowers, which come and go.

Plant placement also considers both visual elements (size and shape of beds, relationship to house and hardscape) and practical elements (circulation paths, ease of mowing, bed access for maintenance, shade for comfort, screening for privacy). I usually like broad, sweeping curves and a layered, natural look where plants grow above and below, in front of and behind each other. I try to balance repetition (for unity) and variety (for interest). And I try to keep all seasons in mind, because landscapes change with the seasons. What will you see in early spring, late spring, midsummer, fall, winter?

Most of all, I remember that a landscape is not simply decoration for the house walls, as art is indoors. It's a place for living: for walking, sitting, watching, listening, feeling, reading, playing, socializing. Plan it as a whole, as you would furnish a whole room (not just the walls) indoors. The house is just one (large!) object in this place. It's the place itself that gives us pleasure.

That's a lot to consider, but as others have said, local experts can help you. Enjoy both the establishment and the evolution of your special place!