These are steep stairs. You want to make it inviting for your guests to come to your front door. First things first: clean up. There are a lot of unused plant pots that simply need to be removed. The next three steps are the key to giving this area a whole new look: tie in the gate with the railing, add some lighting, and fill in the dead space on both sides with simple ground cover. If you don’t want to replace the wooden railing, it needs to be sanded and painted. Tie this in with the front gate by painting the gate the same color or replacing it with a fresh gate. You can find prefabricated gates at any home improvement store, or have something made to tie in with your new railing. This will be people’s first impression of your home, and you want to make it look inviting. For lighting, how about solar lights? I like them because they use no electricity and are fairly inexpensive. Then, go to your local nursery and ask for some ground cover that does well in direct sun, and you’ll have a fresh, clean, functional front stairway. For a finishing touch, adding a pair of 3-foot potted palms in front of the gate at the left and right would also give a nice sense of entry. Keep us posted on your progress!