Maybe your picture doesn't really show how bad the walkway is. But to my eyes it has a nice, antique, been-there-forever look. I'd clear out the bland plantings, put in better texture/colors, & leave the walkway & it's time-worn patina as is.

And sorry to make things worse here, but we installed a fireplace insert and absolutely love it! It's one of the best home improvements we've made: cozy warmth in our formerly frosty family room and a more beautiful fireplace too.

The existing brick walkway has so much more charm than your inspiration pics, both of which are rather awkward and cold looking. I don't care for the combo of the red brick and the bluey pavers at all. I'm with your hubby on this one.

You know, moss is kind of trendy right now. Out here in PNW people talk of putting in moss lawns. :) That said, one of the improvements that I loved the most in our last house was a new curving walkway w/improved landscaping. What I don't care for about your walk is the lack of curves. Your inspiration photo with brick edging is lovely. Could you repurpose the brick you currently have as edging? Or even reposition them? Brick is timeless. Also looks like it goes well w/your pretty house.

That's not making things worse, probably better! We don't know anyone who has done an insert so your experience helps. What better plantings for zone 7, full shade?

Not helping your cause, but I agree with the others - I think your brick walkway is charming. I think the plantings on either side need to be sorted out and organized and once that is done, you will feel better about the walkway itself.

I spoke with a local landscape architect just last week, and he would do a drawing of my front yard with plant recommendations (moving what I had, new planting, bed shapes, etc.) for $150. I don't know what something like that would cost you in NoVa, but you might look into it.

By the way, I grew up in Annandale :)

If you have full shade, can you trim back trees to let in more light & allow more planting options?

Can you grow camellias where you live? They like some shade.

Love the walkway! I live in northern VA, too, and have mostly shade. Try hosta (my favorite-check out pics on the hosta forum), astilbe, Japanese painted ferns, ajuga (spreads as a ground cover if you want that), bleeding hearts (they go dormant mid-summer, but wow, so wonderful when they bloom), hellebores (after a year or so, they are spectacular), sweet woodruff, aruncus at back of bed (goat's beard), and anemones (these bloom in fall and are lovely) to start. I think shade gardens can be the most lovely of all!

Oh, and camellias will work well in partial shade if you need shrubs. They do get large, though. If you want shrub choices, let me know-have lots!

I much prefer your current sidewalk. It has charm and character.

I like the current walk way too.

A garden makeover might make it look better to you. Why not take inspiration from the beds in the photos you posted and totally renovate the gardens?
A local landscaping company might give you some tips and a free estimate.
Maybe then you could have both the make over you want for the front and the fireplace insert.

If you can limb up your trees a bit to get a couple of areas of at least 4 hours of sun, there are several roses that can work with that. The class known as hybrid musks works well in those situations. I'd recommend Prosperity, Mozart, Robin Hood, Penelope, Buff Beauty, Cornelia, and Moonlight (pic). They all work without spraying and will give you a great spring flush of blooms, several smaller flushes over summer, and a nice fall flush. All without much of any effort at all.

Azalias and rhododendrons are the traditional shrubs for shade and there are evergreen ones and reblooming ones that can give you color twice a year. I'm surprised you don't already have a bunch of hostas (pic). They also are a traditional shade garden favorite and come in hundreds if not thousands of varieties. Redbuds and dogwoods make great smaller understory trees if you have large trees making the shade.

Reading Gardenweb's Antique Rose Forum, Cottage Garden Forum, Shade Garden Forum, and Southern Gardening Forum can give you more ideas. Draw out your yard on graph paper just like you would a room in your house. Place the trees and other unmovable objects on the master diagram and use clear acetate to overlay with the existing plants that can be eliminated or moved. Use dry erase markers to plan things out and move them around before getting your hands dirty.

Your current walkway looks dangerous for anyone who is wearing anything other than sneakers. I don't see any charm! I see an uneven and tired walkway in need of repair or replacement.

We did a wood burning fireplace insert in our previous house. It was very useful in the cold New England winters. Winter is over, can you do the walkway now and save up to do the insert next November.

looks dangerous for anyone who is wearing anything other than sneakers

Heels maybe, but they're inherently dangerous no matter where you're walking.

Have you checked out decorative concrete? You can have it stamped with almost any design and any color. You could have a stone look or stone with brick edging. A local company here in SC even cuts the 'joints' more by hand and adds grout so it is very realistic looking. It is much less costly than the real thing.

My old patio looked a lot like your walkway. Uneven and mossy bricks. It was real hazard. My friend slipped on a mossy brick and went flying but he wasn;t hurt. I fractured my ankle whe I rolled it on some uneven bricks. After that I had the bricks replaced. You might be able to get rid of the moss and algae by power washing, but I'd advise getting a new, safe walk. Today a lot of pavers look so much like stone you can't tell the difference. I saw a display of EP Henry pavers at the flower show and was impressed.

I LOVE your walkway. Why don't you clear away the stuff on both sides of it and do the reverse of your inspiration photo---e.g. border what you have with rock? It will visually widen the walkway and define it better---although you can get definition by simply clearing all the plants and debris about four inches from the edge and starting a planting bed there.

We extended a four foot wide old brick walkway last summer and I have been spraying buttermilk on it to ENCOURAGE moss growth.... I would be very happy with your walkway!

Well that's one way to convince your hubby to replace... the possibility of a potential law suit. ;-)

I have been spraying buttermilk on it to ENCOURAGE moss growth.

Does the walkway have to be in shade for that to work?

Yes, it has to get some shade. It is a slow process and I don't know if the buttermilk is actually helping. Our architect suggested we try it; she's been trying it at her own house. The thing is, it takes such a long time that when the moss finally appears you don't know if it was the buttermilk or just the passage of time and the right conditions.

I love your walkway, too. If it is really dangerous, (the pictures don't look like it) can you reclaim the current bricks? So much more charming than stamped concrete, imho.

If it is only a few uneven or broken bricks, perhaps you can fix those. It is really a beautiful walk. Does it get much use?

LOL. My first thought was "that brick walk is an accident waiting to happen". Uneven bricks and moss- my ankle is throbbing just looking at the picture, knowing I'd break mine. A new walk (and I love brick) and professional landscaping would be the first thing I would do. The improvement in your cute house would more than pay for itself in the long run.

Your bricks are beautiful, much prettier than those other walkways. Are they set in concrete or just laid dry? They look like they are just set in the soil. If so, you can lift them up and reuse them. I can't actually see any tripping hazards, so if they are level you can just sweep sand with some cement dust mixed in into the cracks to fill them up.

Renee

Add me to the list of those who love your walkway. I hope you are able to re-use that brick. Our set-up is similar. although I get later afternoon at my home in Maine, zone 5. I started with a really dangerous walkway, with flagstone, and a separate path to the front door, of flagstone.

In April 2008, I contracted with a local company who did this for me with brick, which I prefer over pavers for my old house. Under construction -

Finished, with granite at the grade change.

As I started planting. Note the granite bench, which has become SO handy as I work in the front yard for quick rest breaks. I even saw the man who delivers heating oil enjoying it one day!

A year later as my plantings, mostly moved from other beds in the yard are filling in.

One planting option for you may be pots set in a wider area.

I didn't read all the comments, but I love your existing walk! It's charming... however, new plantings would refresh the whole walkway.

We just replaced our 75 year old walkway, I didn't WANT to replace it, but it had to go as it was dangerous in the current condition and I replaced it with OLD reclaimed bricks!

Love the walkway and had also thought to widen it a bit with clearing out space along the side and adding pavers. It is charming and goes with your house! Love the idea to add cement dust if it is uneven, otherwise maybe spruce up your plantings and go fireplace insert shopping.

I am so grateful to have this resource available to me for SO many reasons. Maybe it saved our marriage! (just kidding). Thanks to this forum and you wonderful responders I am NOT going to just rip up and put in a newer looking walk. I'll clean the plants out and put in the right kind of plants with the landscape design as a basis that I got from a landscape designer 10 years ago. After we get the fireplace insert project done and keep up with keeping the bricks cleaned up and non-slippery, when necessary we'll consider reusing the bricks and widening for the kind of look tinker_2006 has in her photo. I'm moving over here from the Bathrooms forum and I'll contribute my opinions when I have something to say, as you wonderful and experienced people have done for me. Thank you.

I've been following this thread with interest because my DH and I have been having the same argument for years. He has the fireplace at the top of his list and I have about 10 projects above it on my list.

I love your bricks, but do think they need to be cleaned up at bit (not the moss - love that). If you're going to keep them as they are, I would dig out the edges and lay landscape ties on either side to create a more distinct border. It also helps when gardening by creating a bit of a raised bed (easier to add compost, mulch, etc).

Last summer, I did away with our old walkway which looked much like yours except it was ugly interlocking brick with grass growing in it instead of charming moss. I pulled up all the old bricks and laid them on the front boulevard with a for sale sign and they were gone quickly. The base they had been laid on was still in pretty good shape, I just bought bags of quarter down limestone from home depot and spread it over top. I bought new stones using my airmiles points and, voila!, I had a brand new sidewalk. I think the stones and all materials cost about $700 total. My neighbours got the exact same stretch of walkway done professionally and it cost them $2500. It took me about a week and by the end of it, I had the best toned arms (and walkway) on the block.

Awm03, I would love to see pics and have details on your fireplace insert.

I don't care for the "charming" look in walkways, either. But just cleaning up the edges and adding a row of pavers or a low fence or something could fix it up enough for you to be able to forget about it for a while.

I think you could work with your current walkway and save money in the process, so DH can get that wood burning FP. ;)

We had a brick walkway at our last house. I spent DAYS putting dirt between the bricks and gathering moss from the yard (natural area where grass used to be) to put at all the corners... then spent every morning and afternoon for the next month gently sprinkling with water so the moss would grow. Looked great when done and evened out the brick.

That said, I spent HOURS each summer (once or twice) weeding between the bricks/in the moss. I didn't mind, but you might.

You can always add mortar cement between your bricks (dry brush/sweep in) then water gently.. repeat as needed to harden. No moss. No weeding. More even surface to walk on and charm not lost.

My sidewalk was also shaded with some sun at house. Had several varieties of Hosta, Lenten Roses and Autumn Ferns planted along with low growing azaleas near house and GG Gerbing azaleas on other side of walkway.

I think the idea with buttermilk, you are supposed to blend up moss in the buttermilk and spread the mixture. Just buttermilk would be far less effective.

Before we moved we installed a path in our yard, it was made from bricks we bought on CL for $75. Yes, 700 bricks and they were in great shape. If I were you, I'd have a landscaper come, and reuse the ones you have. You will have instant charm. Perhaps by redoing what's under it and changing the pattern, clearing the shrubs and growth from around it you will get the look you want for 1/2 the cost. The cost of materials is expensive. I'm always trying to find a way that everybody wins...maybe you will save enough to be able to buy the insert when it's on sale....this summer.

Here is our path...

Another vote for a fireplace insert. It was also my DH's idea at our house but now I love it. We put in a pellet stove--A high quality one that is quiet and runs on a thermostat. The ambiance is nice and it helps with our heating oil costs. I also think your current walkway has patina and character.

My problems with your current walkway are: it's overgrown and all the plantings are ankle-high, it doesn't lead my eye to your door - it dead-ends visually.

Clear it back so you can see where it makes the turn towards the door, mark the turn with some lighting or plants or something, and plant a greater variety of stuff. Columbines like shade.

It's a nice brick walkway, it fits the house and the area. The mixed paving you showed is clashing and it looks like they ran out of material so they added a border.