I think if you plant shrubs they will visually engulf the walkway/entry. I think only groundcovers. Put your shrubbery to the left of the fence.

Too late now, but I think that the entire entry should have the walkway finish, skipping the gravel which will always be a problem with weed seeds. It would have enlarge the look of the approach to the little porch which now looks skimpy.

any front porch entry has a standard 48” walkway approach, doing the entire width of the front porch would look like a patio and thats not what we wanted. that fence has always been there as decoration and the old sidewalk (concrete) was even more off centrred than the new pavers. i think adding some sort of plants on each side would fill it in.

the low scape mound chokeberry “aronia” is considered a ground cover shrub, it says mature size is 1-2 feet high and 18-24 inches wide. the space between the walkway and the house is 2 feet so it shouldnt take over the walkway and it would be trimmed uearly anyways. these seem to be the best for shade, wet/dry soil, and erosion control. have you hsd any experience with these shrubs?

Concur with Lacey. Planting anything directly under the eaves is questionable and the addition of plantings will visually crowd the space.

Agree with others. This space is too small for shrubbery, especially the house side. Much too small.

It looks like a nice neat job, though. You’re going to have to keep on top of weeds growing up through the gravel. And before you say ”I put down landscape fabric,” I will repeat my advice that you’re going to have to keep on top of weeds growing up through the gravel (and landscape fabric).

100% agree, i have several other landscape beds with the same gravel and they do have landscape fabric, i understand landscape fabric doesnt fully suppress weeds its just more for keeping the gravel from sinking into the soil. i already have to pick weeds weekly in the beds haha!

and im looking at this for planting: https://www.provenwinnerscolorchoice.com/product/low-scape-mound-chokeberry/

it stays really small, i know most shrubs can get big and thats why I came here to get advice!

i wanted to try and get plants that can help moist soil, since the area is shaded it can stay wet for some time after a rain.

i could do shrubs on the left side, and then the right do something in pots. although the low scape mound chokeberry may seem like it wont crowd out too much?

Don't rely on plants to dry out the soil and keep your foundation dry. If wet soil is a concern, you need to address grading & drainage.

Nice job on walkway. How wide is it? I get what others have said & cautioned about & also understand what you’re asking. How about a compromise? Plant only on left side - facing the door. And, plant on both sides of the rail fence. The chokeberry you’re considering seems like a good choice. Description notes the flowers, berries & fall color as well as easy to control. For the house side - which is totally covered by the eves & will be an issue for any plant there - find some outdoor decor that appeals or even place 3 larger landscape rocks there for interest. Look for ones with interesting shapes & color.

" plants that can help moist soil "

Depends on what you mean by 'help'. There are plants that tolerate moist soils and those that will tolerate both moist and dry soils. But with the exception of some larger trees, plants really do not soak up excess soil moisture. They only take up what they need to thrive.

I like the looks of the aronia and it looks like it will stay low but it is inclined to sucker and the area on the right side of the walkway - next to the house - is just too tight a siting for this plant to look good and do well. I'd leave that side just with the gravel/rocks. Looks clean and tidy, will be easier to maintain with no plants present and will not give an impression of crowding, which planting alongside a walkway tends to do.

Your walkway looks great! Fence, too. I think your idea of using pots is good. One or two to the left of the door, then one on each side as you enter the walkway would be a good start.

Have you looked at grasses? Smaller than images below, but showing for the concept if you want to line the walkway.

You don't need to use the same plants on each side.

Have you thought about putting in drainage tile in your wet area?

has the orientation and sun/shade pattern throughout the day been mentioned? That info would seem important.

House faces south, the morniny/afternoon sun does shine on the walkway and front of the house. later afternoon/evening is when there isnt much sun. there is a tree to the left of the walkway which also provides some shade.

Assume you mean the wall with the window, not the door, faces south. Otherwise, those shadow lines don't make sense. I suggest perennials and sub-shrubs on the house side. If you want shrubs there, perhaps one or two only, of a dwarf, spire-like shrub. Ilex Skybox, or something similar that is hardy in your area. On the other side, a mixture of perennials, repeating some, not all of the house side, but not formally, in addition to some larger shrubs. You did some nice work there with the hardscape. FWIW, I feel green is always nicer to look at than gray rock.

Would you consider an espalier or a plant growing on a trellis (possibly a wall-mounted trellis) on the right hand side of the sidewalk?

Just a thought here, from personal experience. Consider your foundation walls - will shrub roots planted that closely affect it? Perhaps not if the shrubs are small. But I bought a house with 15-foot tall shrubs planted about a foot and a half to two feet away from the cinderblock foundation, and they pushed against the foundation underground something fierce!

Very nice sidewalk!

:)

Dee

Or perhaps a long narrow decorative planter on the right - you could do seasonal plantings, evergreens, or perennials, including something spilling over the planter

I can't seem to find exactly what I have in mind, but something like at this link here

:)

Dee

Here are some ideas:

Yes, Dig Doug! That's the kind of idea I was trying to articulate. I personally would make it a bit taller and more decorative, but that is indeed what I was thinking.

:)

Dee

P.S. And I'm still thinking I would put something growing up that blank spot of wall on the right, or on a trellis in front of it, even if it's just an annual flowering vine

Under your eaves might be dry, as the eaves protect it from rain. So, I'd start by paying attention to whether that area stays wet or not. Either get a water meter ($15-25 at the hardware store) or dig down and check after it pours. Eaves, gutters, and drains are designed to channel water away from the foundation.

Next, I wouldn't put in a planter, but plant right in the ground. Damp shade is great for ferns. Christmas ferns are evergreen. Very dry shade is tough for most plants.

I like both the shrubs you are looking at, and that they are cultivars of native species. And I think you do have room to plant there (esp left side) if you are thoughtful about plant size or prune/edit as needed. You may want to consider some grasses, grass-like plants, or sedums in this space.

I do like symmetry on a walkway like this, I made my own walkway landscaping symmetrical and think it gives the approach a nice effect. There was a recent “yard of the week” article that your site kinda reminds me of. It’s in California, so the plant choices in the article would be all wrong for your site, but if wanting to replicate the feel of this, you could definitely find similar-looking/-sized plants that work for your area:

https://www.houzz.com/magazine/yard-of-the-week-curb-appeal-for-friendly-neighbors-stsetivw-vs~176972604