Let’s talk about the path. I’m no mathematician, but I can dig a path, and John is good at both the planning and the digging—overachiever, much? The photos below were taken before we began reworking the garden beds on either side of the porch so you can see how that clump of shrubs in front of the porch made everything feel unbalanced. Wouldn’t it look nicer to have plants flanking the porch with the walkway to the door left open and airy instead of crowded by overgrown boxwoods? It felt backwards: all the visual weight in the middle instead of on the sides.
After a landscape professional confirmed that several of those boxwoods were struggling—bare spots, diseased tops—we decided it was time to open the space so the path to the door would feel less cramped. We did try to transplant as many shrubs as possible into less exposed locations to give them a fighting chance.
On moving day, we hauled boxes down that narrow route countless times while the bushes reached out like they owned the place. They had zero sense of personal space. During our landscaping consultation we learned that a comfortable walkway is roughly four feet wide so two people can walk side-by-side or carry large items without getting poked by overhanging plants. Our goal was to make the path feel as wide and welcoming as possible.
Operation “Clear the Path” began with removing azaleas that were planted too close to the porch—some were literally inches from the brick. That little bed simply wasn’t the right place for large shrubs. Because the soil had been saturated by rain the day before, the azaleas came out relatively easily. We replanted them in the side yard we’re naturalizing so they can provide colorful pops without feeling cramped.
Next we dug up the line of boxwoods on the opposite side of the path. With the moist ground it wasn’t too brutal, but each bush took about 15–20 minutes and there were eight in that row. It turned into nearly three hours of work spread over two Clara naps. A few of the shrubs were beyond saving, so we cut them out and removed the roots. Others were healthy enough to transplant into the side lot near the azaleas.
One plant that seems to multiply itself endlessly at this house is liriope (monkey grass). Much of it had crept up over the pavers and narrowed the visible width of the path by at least six inches on each side. The root systems were hugging the edges of the stone so tightly they almost covered them entirely.
Removing the liriope and the remaining crowded plants transformed the walkway more than we expected—the porch finally had room to breathe. We mulched the cleared beds to keep weeds down, and plan to add low-growing flowering perennials or seasonal annuals that will survive in a narrow strip without overpowering the walkway. We want to choose plants we truly love rather than settling for something mediocre.
Clearing those large, crowded boxwoods made one of the biggest visual differences we’ve seen this season. Compare the path before we started to the after photos—suddenly the walkway looks much wider and more inviting. Your eye is drawn to the woods and the porch beyond, rather than to a wall of greenery closing you in.
We plan to seed the raw strip on the left side so grass will grow right up to the path. That will keep the edge open and give a simple, tidy look without adding another narrow garden bed that needs constant care. Imagine that brown patch as green lawn—much more cohesive with the larger yard and easier to maintain.
From farther away you can see how the whole entrance reads better now compared with when we first moved in. We still have a long to-do list for the exterior, but this update is a meaningful step toward a more welcoming front entrance.
In total the project, including transplanting plants elsewhere, took roughly eight hours. We started about a week ago and waited to shoot wider pictures until the path work was complete. Seeing the before photos reminds us how much progress we’ve made, even if there’s still plenty left to do. Landscaping can be hard on the arms and back, but the payoff is worth it.
What does the path to your front door look like? Open and clear, planted with flowers, or full of overgrown shrubs you’re planning to move? Tell us about it.