Are you like me and make a list (at least mentally) of all the things that you that you want to tackle in the coming year?

If you are like me, then the list for this next year will look an awful lot like last year’s list. The reason? Because I didn’t get around to completing the items from the last year. 

Winter is a great time to sit back and dream about the things you would like to see change, especially when it comes to your landscape. 

Since we can’t be out working our gardens, we can be curled up beside the fireplace, making plans for how to make it better.

When it comes to improving your home’s curb appeal, the walkway that leads up to the front door, is one of the best places to spend some time and effort.

The front walkway is one of the main elements that will make your guests feel welcome. In the past, walkways typically went from the bottom of the porch steps straight across to the driveway.

Although this might have been the most direct path, it has its drawbacks.

People tend to take shortcuts from the driveway, across the lawn and towards the front door. Over time, you will have a worn path through the lawn area. Not very welcoming.

The walkway should extend out and away from the house and greet you as you come up the driveway. Make sure your sidewalk is in balance with the size of your home.

The larger the home, the wider your walkway should be. Regardless of your home’s style and size, you want your front walkway to be a minimum of five feet wide.

This is so that a couple can approach your front door while walking hand-in-hand — how sweet.

You may want to flare out the width of the walkway even wider by the driveway (even up to eight feet or wider).

Widening the walkway at the edge of the driveway allows for space to step out of a vehicle onto a solid surface and not on the lawn.

Another important reason for replacing an older walkway is for safety. A cracked concrete sidewalk or a brick walkway where the bricks have sunk or have been heaved out from frost is an accident waiting to happen.

Many twisted ankles are the result of sidewalks in rough shape. Leaving a walkway in poor condition is not worth the risk of injury.

If you find your driveway is too narrow, leaving little space to step out or walk past the vehicles, bring your walkway down alongside the driveway to provide more width.  

Take some time this winter to start planning how you can update your front walkway, giving it more curb appeal, while making it safer for your guests.

Joanne Young is a Niagara-on-the-Lake garden expert and coach. See her website at joanneyoung.ca