We had a chance to do a front yard makeover for the Sandeno family up on Log Hill last year. They had torn out a very large concrete patio that had partially collapsed due to some aggressive ground squirrels and were left with a very barren gentle slope leading down to a circular driveway we put in the previous summer.
We advised our clients to create some texture to the approach by terracing the front with some boulders, installing some hardy feskew grass, and planting deer resistant shrubs strategically on the second tier. To keep it all moist we installed a drip and sprinkler system on a timer.
Not shown in the picture was the work we did for them on the roadside of the circular drive. We created some interest by bringing in soil that created three to four foot hills on which we planted some blue spruce effectively creating a visual barrier between the road and the house. All views were preserved yet privacy has increased.