A closer photo of the front yard

Just a little love needed here!

I agree with your ideas.

Paint is one of the most affordable fixes. Maybe a power wash, then paint your trim and front door. A red door would look great!

Have you tried patching the concrete? I would try, then paint/stain the steps and concrete. Paint is your friend :)

Trim up the bushes. Maybe some lawn seed or low maintenance ground cover? Or check out sites for lawn alternatives/landscaping ideas.
A bowl of flowers on each of your columns going up the steps...your home would look adorable!

This post was edited by kitch4me on Sat, May 11, 13 at 11:22

Power wash around the house first and foremost .... start clean and clear ...

For the front beds -- dig a trench around the perimeter of each of the front beds -- and replace the edging bricks ..... get them in -- and well established ....

Then simply add a good solid layer of sand (play box sand) over the two front beds -- water down and tamp down ....

Then add large paver stones over the sand -- in a grid patterns -- and then fill in the edges of the stones with pea gravel .....

Then add large half-barrels (real or faux) to fill with small shrubs and flowers .....

Ask about "Quickcrete"at your local home center -- you may be able to patch around the front stairs (place metal webbing into the spots -- and then fill in with layers of Quickcrete) -- and there may be other products that could help with the front walkway too!

It's so charming!

I would do the following, if possible.

Clean the windows and door, and remove the blinds. Add indoor WT to soften.

Paint the door ... pretty much free rein there. I think the blue in the stained glass, but glossy and with new hardware ... id stick w the black.

Big (blue?) ceramic or ceramic look pots on either side of the door, whiote and purple geraniums and trailing ivy.

I'd put groundcover --- ivy, pahysandra, etc in the front lawn. A nice row of boxwoods at the foundation.

Id also remove the white lattice on the 2nd floor railing and paint it.

What a lovely home!

The soil is going to need some work. Yes, some sand, but also maybe lots and lots of peat moss too. I like the idea of a ground cover -- vinca minor is always good for semi-shady spots, and it has very pretty purple flowers in the spring. Some new bushes -- maybe add spirea or hydrangea for color along with an evergreen for winter interest.

Actually, I like the current colors. That blue goes nicely with the gray siding, but maybe a deeper, glossier blue would add some drama and formality. A fresh paint job on the door and trim, scraping off the old flaking paint, would perk up the house a lot.

Your house has handsome proportions. Those stained glass windows are wonderful. I'd call in a contractor to ask about the structural integrity of the steps. Then maybe break up the concrete walkway and put in pavers, keeping the current width of the walkway. Add a larger porch light, and voila!

Your house just needs some landscaping and fresh paint, not major surgery -- unless the steps are in bad shape.

It appears to me that a volunteer tree is grown immediately next to the right side of the steps. Definitely remove it. Also, I am not sure what is growing furtherest to the right of the steps; it needs to also be removed. Then just trim up the remaining bushes.

Love the suggesting of plants in pots on the posts of the steps.

If you would give us your growing area zone, it would help in making suggestions for a good ground cover for your lawn area. I have posted a link below so that you can determine your growing zone.

I agree that the color of the door is very nice; just repaint in a glossier paint finish as suggested.

Is the lattice work on the second story necessary? And is it required to keep the trash cans where they are?

I really think your home can be quite charming when washed, painted, and gardened.

Here is a link that might be useful: Plant Hardiness Growing Zone

This post was edited by walnutcreek on Sat, May 11, 13 at 14:41

I think the home is very charming and just need a little bit of love. I think a light ( i.e. with lower pressure) power washing would really clean things up.

How thick is the concrete? You might be able to dig down on the sides and start removing it since it is all broken up so no jack hammering would be needed. Just a lot of muscle.

I would look on craigslist and other free cycle type places for stepping stones, patio stone, or Pavers to replace the concrete. Maybe pea gravel in between or some kind of plant material.

Which side is your drive way? What is your climate like?

You could do a small hedge surrounding the property to box it in or just some bushes near the house with flowers in front and grass/ground cover on the rest.

Get some large pots to flank the stairs. I like the idea of blue.

I like all the ideas above, but most of all, I'd make the front lawn a perfect carpet of green grass. Don't let anyone set the trashcans on any of the yard, keep them in the driveway only.

Thank you so much for all the wonderful advice!

We have decided grass would be the best option for us so we broke up the ground put in a whole new top soil and planted grass seeds, finger crosses it'll grow. I have also painted the door a similar shade of blue and repainted the siding around it. I will post pictures soon... gunna keep on workin at the house and would i still love to do the boxed in bushes and a power wash.
Also my plant hardiness is 7b.

Thank you all once again.

Below is a link on how to patch concrete walks. There may be other DIY options.

Here is a link that might be useful: fixing cracked concrete

The thing about grass that many people don,t realize until after the fact is its major maintenance and spendy. You will need to purchase and use a mower two to for times a month and depending on where you live you will proby have to keep it watered. Its such a small area of grass you might be able to talk one of your neighbors into mower sharing duties rather than purchase one yourself. Its a cute home and I am sure the painting you did really helped with the curb appeal. I think I would take that lattice down off the second floor and use it to make a area on the side of the house to hold the trash cans. I would take out the cement walk and replace it with stepping stones like someone suggested.

If the grass doesn't work you could always fill it in with plants.

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I think a small tree -- a dogwood or some such -- on the right would be a beautiful addition. If you give up on the grass, the vinca suggested elsewhere would be a wonderful, low maintenance ground cover. It is evergreen, and begins blooming as soon as the snow melts. Once it gets going, all you have to do is keep it from taking over the world.

I suspect the lattice is there to prevent a pet or child from going through the rails - a section of garden square mesh fence would serve the same purpose and by virtually invisible from the street.

I like the house colors, it just needs washing and some freshening up.

The walkway really needs to be removed and replaced, or repaired. Concrete repair mix can be purchased at Home Depot for about $10, mix it up according to instructions and trowel into the cracks. Better still, get cheap concrete pavers and replace it. It's a trip hazard as it is, as well as an aesthetic issue.

The yard needs a lot of TLC, and I think you should start simple to avoid being overwhelmed (and plants can be expensive!).

Here's what I would do:
- remove the brick edging along the "flowerbed" and between the sidewalk and your yard.
- remove the existing overgrown shrubs or prune to a neat shape and remove the random tree growing too close to the steps
- put an urn shaped planter on top of the railing on both sides, plant with flowers
- make a circular flowerbed in the center of the right portion of the yard, plant a small decorative tree or shrub in the center and some easy-care flowers around it.
- if you don't have time to maintain gardens, do not plant them - ill maintained gardens look worse than none. Instead use some "zero-scaping" which involves putting down landscape fabric in unplanted area and covering it with gravel, mulch or lava rock. Even a yard of mostly pavers would look better than neglected half-dead plants.
- mulch everything heavily, and work it into the soil, you may need a soil fork and watering to soften and break it up.
- stop by your local nursery or garden center and bring photos and some notes about your yard (hours of direct sun, hours of shade etc) they can really help you out especially if you go at a time of day/week they are less busy.

Here's an example of how some simple TLC can make a difference... this is our front walkway when we bought our townhouse, a few days after closing (no the PO did not leave the garbage, that's from our interior reno work that had begun):

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And here is a month later, when I'd dug out the overgrown shrubs, dug up the soil and mulched with shredded redwood and planted perennials:

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Here it is this spring:

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Lyfia, I don't know why I didn't think of your idea since my flowerbed is similar to the OP's yard!

This is the Before picture of the flowerbed on the left of the sidewalk before we planted mostly Roses. Notice the railroad ties?

This is the After picture. Right now none of the railroad ties are visible, but I did put in white iron fencing next to the sidewalk just for decoration.

These are easy Roses, I just lay my hose in there and Voila!

Hey tinan, i like the idea of no grass but luckily for us our newly planted seeds have started to grow. Fingers crossed it will continue ans grow into a nice green lawn. I have updated pictures of the garden, the freshly painted door and frame as well as new window boxes.

Thanks again for all your ideas.

A closer view of the garden. Grass is starting to grow! The pieces of wood with string wrapped around it is there to prevent little children from walking through the garden.

A close up of the window boxes.

Very very nice!!!! :)

Excellent job! :) Looks fresh and inviting! :)

Sweet and charming !

I agree, just some TLC needed! You will find it here with many old house lovers around! It's been neglected but that can be a very charming home!

Pull what looks like a large weed next to the stairs. If it's a rose bush or something, trim it back neatly and save for later.

Start with a pretty pot of plants in your favorite colors near the door to greet you home. It will add some life and brighten your outlook about the house.

This post was edited by snookums2 on Tue, May 21, 13 at 15:27

Snookums2, that is a rose bush. I have trimmed it already, you think i should trim it even more? did you see the updated pictures i recently posted? I would love to put a pot of plants but i live in the city where there are many children running around who will knock it off.Or i may just wake up one morning and it'll be gone.

Sorry I was just breezing through and missed the update. Love the window boxes. I would think you could put a nice sized pot under the light?

The rose bush looks trimmed enough now. I would just plan to move it someplace where it has room to flourish and be enjoyed. Some thorns might help keep those kids out of trouble ;)

You,ve made a great start. Be careful I,ve heard the hosta can become additive;)

Very nice job. The hosta will be gorgeous and look so good. I agree with snookums that the rose plant needs to be dug up and moved; it is just too close to the side of the porch. The windowboxes look lovely. You are doing a nice job.

I would definitely leave the rose, and I wouldn't trim it any more, either, unless its thorns are a menace to the little ones passing by. IMO, roses look best when planted amidst other shrubbery so their blooms can be enjoyed and the unattractive canes camouflaged. Arching branches of roses would be a lovely touch adjacent to the steps and atop the leafy shrubs. If they happen to be a fragrant variety, all the better.

I like the blue on your house, too. I wonder if you could put one of the blue hydrangea in to complement it? I think staying simple with the color scheme would be good for such a small area. Otherwise, it could look cluttered. Near front of walkway? They're attractive in fall and winter too.

Hydrangeas was my first though as well but they are bare for at least half the year.

I wouldn't call them bare most of the year. They're still pretty when faded. I enjoy them in winter too with the dried flower heads, especially when it snows.

I love the updates that you have made! What an improvement! Those plants look great and will look even better once they grow in a bit more. Regarding snookums idea of a pot, can you get a concrete urn? They weigh a ton which should discourage theft and make it difficult to knock off. But maybe your thieves are more determined then the ones in my area!

I actually quite like the idea of a blue hydrangea bush on the smaller lawn. Around how much would it cost to purchase one? or would i have to start from seeds?

I would expect to pay around $30-$35 for a nice sized bush at a garden center. I haven't been through there recently though. Not terribly expensive, anyway. You can get smaller ones but it's much more enjoyable to buy the largest you can afford rather than wait. If you get the smaller variety of flowering shrubs, make sure they are not from a hot house (I was told those smaller Spring ones often come from there and are not as hardy).

Make sure your property can meet their requirements though (they vary among hydrangea too).

Though i love the idea of a pot of plants on my steps, I don't think it would work out well for me personally.

Hydrangea macrophyllas do get pretty big, so for your area, it would need yearly pruning so if removing sticks is a hassle...think about something smaller.
If you do get one, get an Endless Summer and as they grow super fast, to me, it's not worth the extra dollars for a a larger size. For a 1 gallon, around 12 dollars more or less.
By the end of the growing season it will be larger than the 3 gallon.

I was thinking the same thing later. Hydrangeas can get pretty big for your small area. Look for the dwarf variety.

There's a beautiful image of a blue one out there but it's prohibited from posting here.

Here is a link that might be useful: Dwarf Hydrangea - French Mophead Pia

This post was edited by snookums2 on Fri, May 24, 13 at 5:38

Your house is really cute and there is a lot of potential to really make it stand out! I would definitely tear out those bushes (they are just kind of random) and put in three of the same shrub. There are so many choices out there. Just think about whether you want evergreen, flowering and consider the light conditions mainly. My first thought, and it seems a lot of others thought this too, is to get some nice planters to put on each side of the ledges. If that grass doesn't work out, then a ground cover would be low maintenance. Another idea would be to add some small evergreen shrubs to outline the perimeter of your new grassy area.

I'd move those shrubs from under the window too. At least put something less random looking in if you want evergreen. I'd be thinking of putting a non-dwarf hydrangea there and putting evergreens at the walk instead.

This post was edited by snookums2 on Fri, May 24, 13 at 13:20

Evergreens against the foundation are a nice year-round feature and a good back-drop for the hostas and other plantings. I love hydrangeas and have several varieties but don't find their form to be very attractive when the branches are bare, which is about half the year in our area. I think you're on the right track with what you've done already!