I just recognize it as a weed in my yard and pull it as soon as I can get a good grip on it, to get the tap root. That's usually around 4-6" so yours has really been able to grow!!

Where are you in SC? I'm wondering which hostas and lenten roses you have found that do well around here as I've never had any luck with them. Do you have named varieites? Other evergreens that I can think of are acubas, some viburnums, fatsehedra. Things that die back or lose their leaves would be hydrangeas, caladiums, ginger lilies, firespike, phillipine violet, columbine. Most need some sun...either morning or filtered. Foundation planting always stumps me. It is so hard to find any variety and I hate just doing the same things everyone does.

Start tomatoes inside and time them to be tall when transplanted as the heat begins to break after mid August. There are heat resistant varieties of course, so this is only an general idea.

If that is indeed a willow, you can tell from the size that it has been there a long time. Certainly long enough for any issues to have had time to manifest. While I would never recommend planting one that close to a structure and any plumbing access, it is what it is now :-) I would also recommend some sort of drought and shade tolerant evergreen groundcover. If in Vancouver BC, there are lots to choose from.