If your budget allow,add a gable porch to improve long box shape of the house.landscape design inexpensive,but work.plant hosta,forthia,dogwood,boxwood,myrtle.

If I am reading the slope correctly I would bring it down to a high point at the front right corner and have it tier down all the way until it transitions back to flat when getting toward the fence in the back and the maple on the left.

I like retainer walls a lot. They give you much nicer flat, usable land. You probably won't be able to grow grass under that maple, so mulch, with small flowering shrub and hosta or other shade loving selections.

Against the house add some shrubs and the house will have some serious curb appeal.

Could you add a picture taken from opposite the front door? Could you somehow show the grade better? It is not clear in this picture.

Here is a photo from the another angle.

I want to keep the grass about 1/2 the size of the yard. Water is expensive here in Colorado Springs.

Also, I was imagining a curving, sweeping retaining wall.

Many thx

Not to say the solution is a sea of concrete, but it seems strange to have the notch out of the driveway. (I know it was because the other parking space was added on.) Still, it would look better if the drive continued to the curb.

A couple of ideas in pictorial form:

This post was edited by Yardvaark on Thu, May 29, 14 at 13:58

Thanks for the design. I like what I see.

What is the darker green that flows from the front door to the front right corner?

FYI--I forgot to mention that I plan on:

Tearing out the mail box planter on the left side of the drive way.
Removing the octagon shaped box just in front of the front door.
Removing the grey brick appendage on the right side of the drive way.

I really want a sweeping walkway that starts at the bottom of the front door step and sweeps downward to the edge of the driveway and the sidewalk.

Many thanks All!