If you'll remove the overgrown and aging shrubbery we can see what you actually have to work with. No shutters please.

I don't see cottage. Get rid of tree and bushes and then post a picture

Ok, should shrubs be even with the porch floor? or remove completely? I think they are old camellias, I can probably rehab them instead of remove altogether.

As deco and jck mention: The house is overwhelmed by the shrubs and the tree. How close is that tree to the home? If it were mine, I would get rid of that old landscaping so you can see what you have now. New landscaping would need to follow a much different plan.

The landscaping is bringing the house down. The house could be really cute. Remove all the foundation planting and start over. It's hard to tell if there is a flower bed in front of the house, but I would add one or make the existing one larger. Add a window box the the window on the left. Replace the wrought iron railing with something more modern. The house needs some color. Yes, crepe myrtle, azalias, perennials, etc.

Remove and start over

following

some ideas:

Does the invisible window behind the magnolia match the white window or the black window? Are you planning to replace any of them so that they match?

Prune the magnolia into a graceful tree shape, cut the camellias way back. If you put in a new tree, will you yourself be around every week or two to water it and make sure the wind doesn't blow it over?

Keep the screen door or replace it with a painted wood screen door.

Dig Doug's Designs...WOW, just WOW!!

Kimberlee T Yes, I'm a botanist, and I also love gardening so rehabbing to get things in scale would be my first choice. The magnolia however is really right on top of the house.. I still have to think that one over.

apple_pie_order I live about 10 houses down, also I will be over there daily for the next few months as we renovate inside, so I will take good care of any new trees I put in. TY!

I'm not sure about the window issue. Just now realizing they don't match. The big one (black) has a broken seal so that would be the one to replace. I think the hidden one has white mullions and is original but I have to check.

Dig Doug's Designs thanks so much for the mock up. I was trying to envision what limbing up the magnolia would look like. Those curved beds are much prettier too!

Yardvaark and phuninthesun great work! it does look SO nice being able to see all three windows and bringing the foundational planting back into scale. I LOVE the portico too! make such a difference! I believe the magnolia is causing some moisture issues because the inside of the basement tested high for moisture in that corner. It does look much nicer to have the tree offset. But I hate to give up on a tree that's been there 30+ years.

kathleen MK I have some things I can bring over, and there are actually already some daylilies on the bank to the right of the stairs (can't see them in the picture). Perennials are definitely the way to go. Magnolia garlands are so pretty too, especially for weddings and the holidays.

I cannot imagine not having a screen door on my house. I would just replace it with one that is not obtrusive.

Roller screens can work well. They pull across the opening and retract to one side when not in use.

Yes, the bushes on the left will get pruned down after they bloom (80 year old camellias)

Landscape on the right are some large azaleas which are trying to recover, I will probably shape them up as well and try to define a bed around them, maybe with an informal walkway from the front stairs to the gate on the right? too much maintenance?

The steps are brick. That's an idea about painting the risers, I will have to look and see if I can find some pics like that. Thanks!

You can add hostas all along the walk way. So low maintenance. No pruning unless you have deer, they will do that for you lol.

I have the white tip leaf hostas and love them. You just plant them and never look back kind of plant.

If you have a friend who has them, ask if they will split them. Then plant, they easily transfer.

As Denita mentioned. Painting the railing white would brighten the area up.

I love hostas, but this is full sun until about 6pm. I think they would get cooked there. most people in our area use liriope (monkey grass) for an area like this as it is tougher. 96 degrees today :(

The bushes do not need to just be pruned down. They need to be pared down such that they do not look like a freighter ready to steam off toward the left. And end undercutting so lower foliage could be kept. They could be dome, not a ball. It could be difficult to recreate into a nice form without a hole or scar as some at left side need to be entirely removed.

"I plan landscaping the sides of the sidewalk with something low maintenance." Well, that in and of itself is not a low maintenance idea. At this point we don't know what the "something" is, but if it has much of any height, it's going to make the entry experience substantially less appealing, and the drive by experience less appetizing. Lining the walk with Liriope would be an example of adding negativity. It would be creating a raised edge that shrinks the apparent walk size and divides it from the larger path (lawn) with a trip hazard.

I also wouldn’t line the walk with plantings. You already have a narrow walk and this will just make it feel more hemmed in. On a practical note, it also adds considerable edging and adds to mowing time. Instead, use low plants at the front of the house bed and make the bed deeper front to back to accommodate them. If you want to dress up the walkway a bit, add a course of bricks to each side, trying to match the house brick color as closely as possible. This will involve using a proper base and edging so the bricks stay in place, but will make the walk wider as well as dressing it up a bit.

NHbabs those are helpful suggestions, thank you. You are right about the plantings lining the sidewalk. This is a quick sketch I did yesterday while I was thinking about developing some small beds at the end of the walkway to make it more welcoming from the street. The light green represents new plantings, I was considering a small evergreen on each side of the stairs to give it some attention. What do y'all think about that idea? I'm trying to find an actual picture to share...

Yaardvark, I just meant bringing the camellias into scale would be a process as they can't be downsized all at once without really damaging them. I agree they look terrible right now, but I would like to keep them if possible, so am planning a more gradual shaping in order to reduce stress.

It looks so much better. Painting the trim, the windows and the portico support will also brighten it up. I'm not too sure about painting the railing white. Love that you have a front porch. Hope your tenets use it - so neighborly! Your planting plant looks good.

Are you planning to leave the sloped areas grass? Or groundcover? Regardless, I would lose the beds along the walk by the steps. Add something bright and colorful up by the house rather than planting along the steps or the walkway. This is a rental, so you want plantings that are attractive but KISS (keep it super simple). The more edges that need maintaining, the more likely that the plantings will not be maintained well. What is the exposure or direction the house faces?

I also think that you might want to consider removing at least one of the camelliasas Yardvaark suggested. They are currently such a large mass that they overwhelm everything else. You really want one or two individual shrubs, not a massive green blob.

right now the sloped areas have monkey grass and daylilies on the right side of the stairs . I was just going to do the same on the left side as well, as it's already a mow and go situation. I totally get that less edges = less work, but it also looks so stripped down and ugly right now :( The plantings I was going to do at the top of the stairs would be pretty minimal. Yard service will be included in the rent, I do this with all my rentals.

The house has a southern exposure and is a corner lot in a historic neighborhood. It has plantation style homes, victorian styles, and mission style houses as well as a couple ugly ranches immediately surrounding it.

Aside from landscaping, other ideas for good curb appeal?

So far:

The front door is going to be blue, we are removing the screen door (might replace with a more minimal storm door).

Also, I will put new exterior lights on either side of the front door, going for cottage style.

New 4" house numbers that will be mounted on a board painted the same color as the door.

A few things:

If there is any solid part of the screen door/storm door, paint it to match the door. You don't want a white rectangle obstructing the blue door.

What color blue for the door? Light? Dark? I've seen many here like Modern Masters paint--high-quality apparently.

Adding colorful pots of flowers would be lovely.

Post pictures of what you're thinking for paint and lights--I have a feeling people here will give you their opinions. LOL.

Also, it would be nice if the windows could match...