That looks like a boxwood shrub that has been allowed to grow way WAY out of bounds. I recommend complete removal of that.

Then study the empty space. Are there some very-low growing, non-aggressive plants that your daughter is fond of? She won’t want something that will grow onto the steps. Are there any existing plants on the property that can be divided and planted there?

IMO remove and make that grass like the rest of the lawn for easy mowing. One less thing to upkeep. Maybe a short railing - just thelength of the straight side of the half circle

I'd ID the plant. It looks like it could be an azalea, which might have gorgeous flowers in the spring. It might even be native. Where is Zone 7? It stretches from Washington state, down to Arizona and up to Massachusetts. What's native in Arizona may not be native in Mass.

Not that it matters much, but I'm not convinced it's a boxwood. As far as I can make out it doesn't have opposite foliage. Sadly it's too large for the space and hacking it about to fit has made it ugly. I'd also be inclined to grass it over.

It’s Maryland. I’ll be able to I’d it better when I’m there - appreciate the input.

And if ice is possible I'd want a handrail on that slope.

If it's a pretty azalea (my wild-ass guess, given that identifying shrubs from pictures is hard), your could move it. You can also prune it. The problem with pruning now, of course, is that you might cut off all the buds.

Creeping phlox should be native to you and is a nice groundcover. I might start by planting some and wait until I ID'd the shrubs before adding more. I like coneflowers, too.

This is coneflower and monarda/bee balm, anothr native.

Plant Ideas & Colorful Combinations · More Info

Creeping phlox comes in many colors

Creeping phlox (Phlox Subulata) ground cover for sunny dry hillside. Spring bloo · More Info

If she does want to plant natives (yay), we have a Digital Atlas of Virginia Flora which can be used to see which plants are native in which counties. Couldn't find the same for Maryland, but the link is a very good resource, I think. It doesn't seem to identify specific counties, but it does break down by region. I clicked on all three regions, so lots of pics, but your daughter would probably want to narrow it to her region. I like the photos.

UMD native plants database with photos

They call it the Native Plant Finder. :-)

ETA: I typed in the zip code of friends in Bethesda and it gave me the Piedmont eco-region for example.

Create a focal point with decor and natural elements. Here are my ideas I prompted to AI so adjust as needed

Thanks for the like.

It's hard to have AI adjust an image without going overboard.

The pots are supposed to sit on the flagstone with the birdbath, which should have a wider bowl to balance the lamp. I'd like to see a bit more groundcover among the stones and rock.

Flowering perennials should not be planted next to the walkway or the flowerheads will bend over and block the path. Plant groundcover in between them and the walk.

I do like how AI left the front of the rock circle open to be seen from the curb. I like how AI widened the path visually with a strip of rock or gravel which should be on both sides for the entire length. 4 feet as mentioned is a good for total width.