To me the strong horizontal lines of the house dominate the whole landscape, especially the break from siding to brick. The level of the entry doesn't fit and is disconserting. I would try to bring the entry look forward and widen it to give it more prominence. Then use soft foliage of unequal height against the sides of the house.

{{gwi:46659}}

Thanks for your reply. I don't know what you mean by the level of the entry doesn't fit and is disconserting. The house is a bi-level and that is the way they look, and I can't build a porch in the front. I'm thinking of using more rounded and circular shapes into the design. I was also thinking of doing 3-4' rounded shrubs near the front door, and taller towards end of house. Most garden magazines have landscape tips for ranch houses, so I've tried to use that as a guide.

I am asking for too much in terms of advice here??? Should I just focus on entrance and left or right side only?

I'd place an, ultimately, nice-sized tree out in your front on the right side (toward the street from the yews).

Something that's nice, but grows relatively fast ... like a River Birch, ... or White Pine.

Also ... your yews will look much better if you don't trim them so much. I understand that you have to kep them trim toward the house (for walkway access), but let the fronts of the plants recover more of their natural shape. To do this you might go just a little more and more natural every year. Ultimately, they should look like green fountains from the front, rather than greenish brown lumps.

I think that you'd have more success with this approach ... than with removing the yews, ... and replacing them with something else (which could be equally or more problematic).

Remember that new shrubs will need time to acclimate to their new locations and begin to look like you're wanting.

In this case, the devil you know ... might be better than the devil you don't know.

With your bones (trees, large shrubs) in place, you could do something more colorful at your entryway ... maybe a landscape rose (Pink/Blushing Knockout, the Fairy, Bonica, etc.)

I've included a photo below of how this might look ...

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Ditto what Aegis said about the tree out front, and about the yews. The mere fact that these shrubs are established and evergreen is so much in their favour. Yews can be any shape you want them to be. They will sprout from old wood if you prune them back hard. I suspect these are upright-arching if left to their own devices, and I think that is one shape the house is crying out for.

I like what you've done in the "up close" view of the house, and it must be nice to have it done as those are the views that you see as you come and go. But when you snap a photo of the house from the road, you see (and show us) the "from a distance" view, and that view is virtually unaffected by the detail work you've done. To improve the distance view, you need changes that can be seen from a distance. A tree, or a couple, would help by somewhat obscuring the strong horizontal lines if they are in front of the house, and creating a bigger (eventually!) and if at the side will provide a more dominant context, sort of a grove that the house can nestle into. This house looks naked, and in effect you're just putting shoes on it. Shoes are necessary, and the ones you're putting on are nice, but they don't dress the house.

In terms of further improving the detail view, I think you've got lots of good evergreen structure and whether you go for more or focus instead on colour and seasonal interest (with perennials and annuals) depends on your preferences.

Hi there....I'm curious as to why you can't make some paint changes?? I'm thinking the devil here is that WHITE planking around the front door...I would simply paint it out the color of the siding and paint the front door perhaps an eggplant shade to bring the focal point of the house back down to the entry.

I really don't think you can solve it with just landscaping....Here's a quick virtual of how it might look. I'd also put something tall next to the door...again, to bring some vertical balance to that area and hide where the planking stops when it meets the brick. I did an Alberta Spruce which stays a nice size but not sure if you're dealing with sun or shade here.

Forgot my link...duh. Oh, yes...some small trees! I didn't concentrate on landscaping other than right by the foundation. Some color, variegated foliage, lighter tones would bring the eye down too.

Here is a link that might be useful: virtual of paint changes

I just wanted to add...there is an article in the recent edition of Garden Gate magazine. It features a house with a similar layout to yours. In their design the bed is deeper along the entire length of the house (like if you continued the bed with the yews all along the front of your house...or at least past the front door). What they did that I really liked was to create a stepping stone walk out from the front door and through the bed. There were then two urns that marked the stepping stone path. While the path just went out to the front lawn, the path and the urns really dressed up the view of the entrance and gave it more weight.

- Brent

The house appears divorced from the street because there is no front walk and all planings are tight around the house. this makes it look unwelcoming. The size of the house and lawn are crying for big arching features that diminish the basic boxy design and welcome you to the house.

I like Aegis's tree in the lawn, but would place it farther to the north to block the view of the driveway and your neighbor behind you. Consider making its "bed" larger with perennials around it in an amorphous shape. Natural things are not perfectly shaped.

I like the idea of the rose. Would also think about using a pair of Rose of Sharon for their urn shape and flowers.

Thanks everyone for your help. Ok, I'll leave the yews. They were pruned in that weird shape before we bought the house.
You can't tell fom these pics but there is a cherry tree in front yard closer to driveway. We ripped out some old ratty looking shrubs when we moved in and easily 12 inches of much and leaves. I know new shrubs will take a while to grow to size, but the sooner I get them started the better. My winter project is going to be learning a landscape software programs, for now I am making do with graph paper, and all of your help.

pls8xx: The extended landing looks good, it helps to see it done this way, and the shrubs near it look nice also. So this will be my next big, project.

aegis500: The extra tree is a good idea, and the shrub placed near large picture window is perfect. I think 2 more similar but not necessarily the same shrub would do well on either end of house.

karinl: Thanks for the compliment for the work done near the house. I admit I started there because it is something we see everyday. And I liked the shoes & clothes analogy. There must be something to it - I've always enjoyed shopping for shoes more than for clothes.

jant: Well, we just replaced all the shutters, so to keep peace at home, they have to stay as is. Door color can be changed. But, WOW, what a difference when the big white vinyl siding matches the house color, and I did like the door color, would have never tried that on my own. Not sure how it could be done, can vinyl be painted? It is the eastern side of the house and the winter sun is strong in this part of the house. I don't get why that siding is there, the rest of the house is aluminum siding and brick.

brent in nova: I ran out at bought that magazine, had to go to 3 stores to find it! It was good, they added a lot of box wood for winter season interest. I think I can use a lot of what they showed.

busyd95: That is a good way to put it: with no front walk and plantings so close it doesn't feel welcoming. There are no sidewalks along the roadway, so people either use the steps from the driveway or cut through the front yard. I did plant the Nellie Stevens holly to help block that view. I think I'll plant 2 more so there is a grouping of them.

Thanks again everyone.