Is it that area where you have the lengthwise dirt pile under the two arched windows?

I had a similar problem when I bought my house. A garage had been renovated into a bedroom, and the cement threshold is still out there, running along the length of the wall there.

I bought a grass that grows 3 - five feet tall, tore it into three pieces, and planted them in front of the cement threshold. They are gorgeous now! And because of how grasses drape, the back of the grasses drape over the cement ledge and are far enough away from the house that they can grow freely, but they completely hide the cement and look perfect there. Grasses are beautiful and so easy to maintain as well. And you don't have to buy multiples. Just buy one and split it into as many as you want and plant them. In about two - three years, they'll be beautiful.

If you live in a place with a winter, cut them back to about 8 inches tall @ March each year.

If I was home, I'd take a pic for you. Won't be home until Sunday, though.

An arch shaped pad with a fountain in it would be lovely...or even a bird bath...something sculptural to look at could be a real feature.

[Traditional Landscape[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/traditional-landscaping-ideas-phbr1-bp~t_728~s_2107) by Trafford Landscape Architects & Landscape Designers Richard P. Rauso, ASLA, Landscape Architects

And if you wanted, you can still have plantings above so long as they have shallow roots like ground covers and bulbs. Also you can mound up the soil some to give it shape which is done in a lot of landscaping now....

[Farmhouse Landscape[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/farmhouse-landscaping-ideas-phbr1-bp~t_728~s_2114) by Seattle Architects & Building Designers Dan Nelson, Designs Northwest Architects

Thanks, those are good ideas! I actually have a grass that has grown way too big for its current spot. Maybe I could split it move it there. I also like those round fountains. I'm not going to do bluestone. I'll choose something more economical at planting time. I also like those moss mounds, really neat.

Kew, would you like me to post a pic of my grasses in front of the cement threshold when I get home on Sunday?

Sure, if it's not too much trouble. You guys really are very helpful!

I'd put a potted Japanese maple or soft-needled evergreen on the bluestone to soften the stucco siding. Pretty from the window too. I have a small JM planted outside my back window in the middle of a shade bed.

No trouble at all, Kew! Happy to do it.

Re: replanting the grass. If you can get it at the root, definitely don't waste $ by going and buying one. Grass is so hearty and it'll all grow back and fill in nicely, and each year they look better, and in the fall, they grow the plumes, which add to their beauty. And I do love the maintenance-free aspect of them, other than cutting them back in early spring! I think you get a lot of beautiful bang for your buck with grasses.

kew, I'm home now and will take pics of the grass tomorrow morning, when the sun is on them.

Is it possible to construct a planter box and fill it with soil and plants? Or make a half circle raised garden with ground cover over the concrete part and a specimen plant (Japanese Maple?) in front of that, with plants filling the rest? Wow! May flowers garden is so soft and pretty.

Thanks Tribbix. A planter is a good idea too Voila. I'm kind of laughing at myself though for even worrying about this as it seems there are many good options here. And, I'm laughing at my title because we've encountered a major problem that makes this seem so silly and insignificant.

When they removed the concrete step leading to my patio, they discovered the entire area under my patio sliding door is rotten. Now, they have to remove the door and repair all of the damage. It looks like the door was installed incorrectly and water has gotten in behind the stucco. We're not sure how far the damage runs, certainly under the sliding door threshold. Fingers crossed it's not also under my kitchen floor. So, my patio is on hold until this gets repaired. I've been taking deep breaths ;)

Oh darn it! Don't you hate when this happens? On the other hand, how fortunate you are to find this problem before it got any worse. We'll keep our fingers crossed for minimal damage.

Yes, you are right. At least we can fix it now before the new patio goes in. The plan was to use that concrete step as a base for the bluestone step with brick risers that are going in but they needed to remove just a small piece so the brick on the risers would be flush with the house on the right side. That's how they made the discovery. Thank goodness! We would've never known otherwise. Now they've fully removed the step to see the damage. It's pretty bad.
I'm a little worried about my kitchen floor. We've known that the floor wasn't put in properly for some time because some of the tiles have some give in them, and some have cracked, but that's on the other side of the room. Hoping that's just from a bad or lack of mud job under the tile and not related to this. The kitchen is only about 8 years old so it looks nice. It was just poor quality work.

We'll be waiting for an update. Good luck!

Thanks!

I did this to the very front of our house. Tore out some horrible beds and added the pavers (we put in the fountain 10 years ago) then added a bench and a bunch of pots. I have a mix of perennials and annuals in the pots, and outside the photos I have more evergreens in pots.

I could see something pretty in that area-add a fountain, a bench and potted plants. This photo was taken very early spring, now everything is HUGE and I even added a few more pots since then. Even a small potted Japanese Maple or other low, mounding type of tree would be nice (depending on your zone). It'd give a mixture of heights, desperately needed color, texture and some interest. Just know that if you add a fountain you'll need a power source within 15 feet.

What a bummer about the water rot, Kew. That is unnerving. At least you finally found it, so try to think of it like that. I hope the damage isn't too extensive.

Here are two pics of the grasses meant to hide the old garage cement threshold, in the meantime. I have to do it in two posts, so bear with me.

and the cement threshold behind the grasses