That will look nice when it's done.

The yews should be moved. They are too close together and too close to the house. They eventually get huge (ask me how I know).

Yes, fill in the beds with good soil up to the level of the walk, and keep them sloped away from the house for drainage. That will give you a good planting area for some really attractive smaller perennials. Specific plants depend on where you live and how much sun that area gets, but you can mix evergreens with deciduous plants so you have some interest year round.

Some evergreens, just off the top of my head:
Euonymous (the dwarf varieties would be better)
Phlox (the low-growing varieties)
Rhodedendron/azalea (but these can get pretty large, prefer part sun)
Groundcovers like vinca
Thyme

Ornamental grasses are not evergreen but have some visual interest a good part of the year.

Hope that helps!

That porch base looks great. I really like the steps. I think you could face the base in brick down the road, as we were playing with, I believe.

Can't take in landscaping, lol. Looking forward to seeing the rest go up :) I hope it follows a good bit along the lines of the virtual, as that looks really nice on your home.

Gee, even in it's unfinished state, your house looks so much better. Before, it was ho-hum, but now it's stately. I love the scale of the steps. So pretty!

I don't know about landscaping for your area, but Harriet is correct - it all starts with the soil so make sure to amend it with compost. I just wanted to say the transformation so far is really incredible.

Jana

This beautiful transformation adds so much character to your home. I'm looking forward to seeing it completed. Best of luck.

First, your changes are incredible. I canÂt wait to see the completed portico. I think the large size will really add character to your home. (DH and I live in a similar style house and would like to add a portico eventually. However, since our front windows are spaced apart, we wonÂt have room for one as large and stately.)

I would caution you against rushing your landscaping. If you are worried about the exposed sides of the stoops, I would buy two large planters as a temporary fix. (They would be really pretty with mini-Christmas trees this winter.) Then you could use this winter to plan your spring landscaping.

You donÂt want to throw together a lot of plants without a plan. You want some variation in height. You may even want slightly more bulk to the right (looking at the photo) of the door to balance the garage on the left.

The easiest way to make a design plan is to visit a local greenhouse/nursery. If you bring a photo, usually someone there will be glad to sketch a plan for you (with the expectation that you will buy a least some of your plants from them). They can even break the plan into layers that you can implement one at a time as your budget allows. Your larger, foundation plants should be the first layer.

If you want to try to make a design yourself, I like to print a photo onto regular paper and draw on it. Play around with heights and shapes until you are happy. DonÂt even worry about plant selection at first. Once you have an idea of the characteristics of the plant you want (I want something evergreen that can easily be maintained to 3-4 feet high under each window), you can find a plant that meets your criteria. You will need to consider your zone and your sun/shade conditions when selecting your plants. What direction does your house face? Remember that plants on the east or north side of your house will be in shade most of the day. If you plant any trees (even medium or small trees), they need to be placed well away from your foundation. You have a great space to work with b/c you can easily expand the beds on either side to accommodate a large/tall shrub or small tree.

I bet your neighbors could kiss you and your DH right now! YouÂve really transformed that house!

Nin

Any chance you can add a fountain or water feature to the left (as you're looking at it) of the porch? Besides being good Feng Sui, it'll help to break up the symetry just enough.

Wait for your landscaping till you've got your portico done. No sense in chancing getting it all smooshed up! Work on your hardscaping first, then the plantings.

I don't think raised beds are ideal for your look. I would rather see the yews taken out all together, in favor of some less structured looking plants. Again, plants later...mulch now.