The most unique feature of the front of our house is a beautiful, ornately carved Gingerbread-style porch. When we first moved in, it was obscured by a set of scraggly bushes. The front garden was mostly grass, with a big patch down by the road of overgrown weeds, poison ivy, and pachysandra. There were also a few Japanese maple trees that had been planted in the last 10 years or so. The patch by the road made the view of the house look scruffy. We hated it and wanted to clear it out as soon as...