I know what you mean by the roof line being heavy and making the home look squat. I am not an architect but a Realtor for many years......so this is what I would do......If I could not change the roof to a different color...................I would remove the wall completely. It gives another line and makes the home (brick area) even feel "squattier" if that is a word? More grass in front, I do not know what the big piece of concrete is but remove it ,unless it is absolutely neccessary for something. Plant an Italian Cypress tree to the right of the window (the wdw rt of the entry door) and if the left side of the home has this same corner on the other side of the winow to the left of the door, plant another IC there. The rest of the front landscaping at the home should have low shrubs....and plants, with some see through wispy type mixed in. Low plants will not cover as much brick and give the home more height. Low plants or wispy like Mexican sage, Giant Iris.... with ferns, azaleas or some smaller plant in front of them, etc. You can find these at Home Depot and they will all take temps down to 10-20 degrees, as I did not see where your home is? Larger lamps at porch (3 to 4 cx's the height as the ones there. The square planters filled with a shaped topiary or boxwood topiary. 1 1/2 times the height of the planter. Other ideas from others; above about the dormer color, and especially a roof over the entry porch that would appear to go a little higher at the arch above the roofline would break up that line & would look great. I do not know about the larger shutters...as they will just make the home seem smaller in proportion. I would just paint them. I do not care for the black on the home at all, with the brown roof. So paint the shutters the last think you do. Take a picture of your home print it large.. cut out different colors from the paint store sample cards into a tiny little shutter...put on the pic of your home until you find the right color. I am scared to say, but I am thinking a color like blue/grey for the shutters???

Patricia Santarelli- I would suggest a hedge of Murraya to create a short wall around the perimeter except the front where I would plant a row of Agapanthus (remember to leave a gap to walk through, either on the side or the middle of the row. Grass the inside and if you like even plant a tree (not huge, one that will grow tall enough to enable visibility to the outside garden from the inside, and you could even plant some flowers around the tree stump once it grows tall enough. I would plant the tree either in the middle of the grass patch or to the side outside the smaller window, (remember to allow room around the tree to grow. So to recap, Murraya along the two sides where the steps are and under the window, and Agapanthus along the front. This is easy maintenance once it has grown to the height you want. Then you just trim it regularly to maintain the height and fertilize every three months or so. The smell of the orange blossoms in spring from the Murraya is amazing! Good luck with whatever you choose.

I should be working, but Houzz is awesome for procrastinating, so: Edibles: there are a gazillion resources on edible gardening. "The Garden Primer" is hands down THE most useful book I own on the topic. There are also tons of great blogs on the topic, just pop some popcorn, get comfortable, and start Googling. As far as a greenhouse goes, you may need one if you decide to extend your growing season or do your own seed starts, but I recommend starting small and making sure you like gardening first. We did a HUGE garden our first year; now I have four 44-gallon stock tanks full of tomatoes and peppers and I get the rest from my CSA share. You learn what works for you. Deer: HAHAHAHAHAHA. Cutest vermin on the planet. The only thing that will keep them out without chemicals is a 7-8' high deer fence. Most natural deer repellents (and chemical ones too) last for a while, till the deer habituate to them. Then you need to do something new. Chemicals: get over the idea of "manicured" and you'll be fine. Except for the clippings that get deposited by my mulching mower, my yard gets no supplemental nutrition. Cut your grass at the tallest setting and it'll crowd out weed seeds and be lush and thick in August when your neighbors, who cut it like a putting green and fertilize, have crunchy brown yards. Composting: easy as falling off a log. You're getting stuff to rot, which is what was going to happen anyhow. Just remember to keep it simple: no meat, no dairy, minimal oil, and make sure that anything treated with herbicides or pesticides does NOT go in the compost. If you want to be all fancy, you can build my 3-bin compost bunker: http://www.revolutionarygardens.com/my-compost-bin-plans/ Fence: I'm amazed Cleveland is 6a, because I went to Cleveland in the winter - once. That was enough. This is one where I'll definitely punt and say, "talk to your local nursery about a hedge plant." I have no idea what does well there, Be sure you tell them you have deer. On the issue of natives... I give a big old "yeah, but..." when it comes to talk of them being easier. If you're planting in the duff of a forest floor that's been mostly undisturbed by the hand of Man (or Woman), sure. But keep in mind that the disturbed soils of suburbia, with fill and "topsoil" imported from god knows where, and none of the other plants that make up a native's ecological family, is far from what a native plant in your region is programmed for. I support the native movement in theory, but in practice it can result in disappointment for folks trying to get woodland plants to thrive on a new construction lot. Your best resources for learning what does well in your area will include local independent garden centers (NOT the big box stores with regional plant buyers), botanical gardens, and the occasional garden tour/open garden days. If you're looking for a DIY approach, look to garden clubs and the county extension's Master Gardeners. If you want the help of a pro, use the "Find Local Pros" feature in the bar at the top. A consultation with a local landscape designer would be money well spent, as s/he can help you see what's possible, and narrow it down to what's right for you. Good luck!

A buddy with similar shaped yard used lattice along the walkway to front door. Then planted a Phillipine cucumber/squash that went up the lattice and across the rafters above Under the now shady front yard they put a large picnic table with benches. It is not something you see every day but makes for a very nice and shady spot to sit in the front yard. The neighborhood has fairly shallow lots leaving about 4 1/2 to 5 feet in back of the house to back fence. The only difference is their garage is enclosed. It seems that a structure free standing is fine with the city as long as there is no foundation nor hardscape supporting it. Posts in ground then lattice and 2x6 beams across top with more lattice. Now he has to figure out what to do with all the lovely rocks from our creek up here in the hills above San Jose, CA. BTw I like your 'Color of purple,' creation, the last pic above. Humming Purple Rain in honor of Prince. They also never have to buy cucs for salad and cooked it is similar to zucchini. An added benefit was privacy to the 2 front bedroom windows.