If you do not mind, re-brick or re-pave walkway, and if you have $$ make a bigger patio entry way so you can put outdoor decor there.

Your flowers and hostas are lovely but I agree that you need to insert some evergreen shrubs and trees into the "bones" of your landscape. What planting zone are you in.....what part of the country and how harsh are your winters?

A large glazed pot near the door would also add some interest and colour to your yard. It would have colourful annuals in it in the summer of course but you could also rotate seasonal greens and ornaments through it at other times of the year. Evergreen boughs, red twig dogwood and birch branches with a ribbon bow in the winter, pansies and daffidils in the spring etc etc.

Get the LARGEST pot you can afford. I think a common mistake is to use too small of a pot and it gets kind of lost in the garden.

Red twig dogwood paired w lower juniper would be a lovely combo for your foundation area - both are green during the normal growing season, and so will not draw focus to themselves until other plants die back. You might also look at one of several barberry types for additional year round interest that will bring your door colour forward into the palette. Photos 3 and 4

shows dogwood w and w out leaves:

Another idea is to add some large rocks in key spots in the garden. You want them to look as though they have been there forever, tucked into the soil with small shrubs and plants around them, not just round rocks plopped down willy nilly.

Paint the light post black. Add a large black lantern-type light fixture to the right of the door. As mentioned earlier, a large pot with seasonal plantings and some evergreen shrubs along the foundation would look nice all year round.

I thought it would show my zone and location, sorry! It does in the garden forum. Zone 5, Indianapolis, Indiana.

I'm loving all the ideas so far!

The area under the window has hostas lining the edges, and a hellebore in the front right (by the driveway). The left-hand side, near the stairs, has japanese anemone, and the bush-like thing is, I believe, possibly a crab apple. The rest is pretty open. I'm guessing that the crab apple was possibly "planted" by a bird? I'm not entirely sure why it is there. It seems like a bad location for it -- too close to the house. It is on my list to remove, but I wanted to find a replacement shrub first. Lots of good ones have been suggested! And I love the juniper ground cover; I'm just afraid that it'll overtake my other plants.

We've only owned the house since June, so I can't say what spring/early summer flowers may be in that specific area, with the exception of the daffodils, tulips, and snow drops that are peeking through. I plan on waiting until fall to make any major plant changes, that way I will have seen all four seasons and know what will be where. I just hate how sad it looks during the cold months. And we definitely did a poor job of cleaning up the leaves/dead plants last fall. I like the idea of mulching in the fall!

I love your house and your yard! I agree, a few evergreens and boxwood or Korean hollies and you are good to go. A window box would add charm, as wood painting your storm door to match the inside door. A larger mailbox and house numbers to the right of the door might be nice, but really, I think your house is adorable.

Pretty house! If you could relocate the mailbox-left of the door as we face house, larger house numbers, possibly lights on either side of door (make sure they are large enough) that would be nice. Holly to right of door and some foundation plantings like boxwood under the windows.

Juniper is sloooow, drought resistant, and grass grows through it, if the bed is not prepped. There are many varieties for you to consider, giving you a final width of anywhere from 3 to 20 Ft. Good selection for the big rocks wyndyacre suggested, as well. I will point you toward blue varieties as starter plants to research; blue sargeant in particular has more of a bush appearance, and will accent your trim colour.

Waiting until fall sounds a smart idea, and will give you time to make friends w your nurseries. So far, all the plants we are mentioning will be available at your local big box, but if you would like someone to finetune your ideas, I suggest a half hour consult with the in-house designer at your local nursery. Good luck w your project.:)

A few boxwood would go with the style of your house and provide some green in the winter. Perhaps one on each side of the porch and one on the corner by the lamp pole.

The house is adorable.

Thank you for all the kind words and wonderful ideas! I wish I could take credit for the flowers, but honestly I didn't know a thing about gardening before buying this house. But we love it :)

What a lovely house! During the summer it almost gets swallowed up. Consider having your trees trimmed so you can see your house from the street. If you add shrubs below the window on the right, it will nearly impossible to see your house. (At least it looks that way in the pictures) I'd paint your shutters and trim the gray color of your room, and paint your storm door red like your front door. The address and a pretty light should be to the right of your door, your mailbox to the left. Add some bright colored flowers beneath your window. Geraniums should do well, and may even survive your winters if you cover them from the snow. (Not sure about that) Check your local nursery.

Of course we don't know what the back and side look, but I'd be tempted-as a long term project, to move some of your perennials to other areas on the property and simplify the front. Do you want a front lawn? Second that some trimming and pruning in the spring will be good. The house is so charming and it gets sort of swallowed up it seems.

Actually, the back is also quite landscaped, but there is also a good bit of grass for the kids in the back.

There is a tiny patch of grass in the front yard between the landscaping and the sidewalk. The width of the yard, but maybe only five feet deep. I don't mind not having the front yard. And I don't think my husband missing mowing a front lawn! I just hate how sad it looks in the winter.

Attached pictures of part of backyard. The center portion and along the edges are heavily landscaped. And lots of trees. Not much room to add new plants.

I live in the same area and it is just "brown" everywhere, right now. isn't it? summer bright and green, fall is so colorful, then beauty of the cold white stuff. the brown phase is brief and makes us love spring. I find your current plantings charming as well. the type of ivy you have has a ratty phase after snow. I think of your landscaping as woodsy and carefree. seeing your trash can easily tells me anything you add as a container planter will really show up. anyway.....only thing that shortens the "brown phase" at my home is an early spring.

As far as the spot where the crab apple is...I'm leaning toward boxwood or red twig dogwood. Any thoughts on a smoke bush? I like the color, and the sun does actually peek through for part of the day (though it may not be enough). But I don't like when they get fuzzy-looking -- is it easy to prevent that through pruning? And are they attractive in the winter, or do they lose their color/foliage?

If I do a boxwood, would you shape it? If so, what shape? Round, flat top, cone-shaped like a small fir tree, let it go wild? I would lean round, I think.

I definitely like the idea of a window box there. And painting the storm door to match the door. And mulching in the fall instead of the spring. We'd have to stick with reddish mulch, since the neighbor's pine needles are a nice reddish color when they fall all over. Would that look ok with a red twig dogwood, red mulch?

And the house numbers, and adding a light on the house (who doesn't have a light on the front of their house!?), and painting the lamp post black, and moving the mailbox...

So many ideas! My husband may not be too pleased if you come up with too many wonderful ideas!

They lose their foliage, putting emphasis on the trunk structure for interest. Coppising in early spring will keep the 'smoke' away, but then makes the trunk structure less interesting come winter, so this is probably not for you!

Any boxwood form would look fine, as your garden is informal.

If you put natural colored mulch down, the 'red' pine needles will be seen differently, I think. Red mulch does not look OK with anything but gnomes..in fact, it may attract them. :)

I like it, come April-May, as do you.

It appears that you have evergreen groundcovers, but their beauty and useful color is buried beneath the fallen glory from your trees above - get a leaf blower, which won't damage your plants, as a rake might.

You have many wise comments about evergreen shrubs, that precede me.

a. Move the lamppost out to the end of the front walk, where you want to attract your guests, and add your house number to it.

b. Add some flagstones to widen the paved area at the base of the steps near the sidewalk. Maybe place some pots with blue or yellow to go with the white and purple flowers beyond.

c. When your front 'stoop' needs replacing, make it much larger, perhaps with a railing, and pots, and a more attractive mailbox, perhaps on the railing. If you removed the stormdoor during the warm season, they could put the mail through the doorslot.

d. The front walk is obviously to narrow, even for one visitor, but that keeps it quaint and their travel slow, as they admire your garden and smell the fragrance.

Looks great and inviting as is. Enjoy!

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You might consider nine-bark (Physocarpus) for the space to the right of the front door. I have a dwarf version that gets to about six feet tall. As a native, it helps the environment. As a specimen plant, it would give you some winter interest. I also suggest that you buy some tall (three or so feet) pots for next to your landing and plant something that would have winter interest. Finally, interplant your garden with plants that have interesting seed heads for winter. From the plant selection, it appears that you have shade, but you can probably find something that would work. A clump of sedges could be interesting. Your helebores should give you winter interest--I just cut mine back this week because they are blooming (Northern Illinois).

I agree with other posters that you should paint the coach light and its pole black. You might consider adding matching, wall-mounted coach lights to flank your front door and the garage door. You also might add white-painted window boxes and add real or artificial greenery, pine cones, and weather-proof ornaments in colors appropriate for certain holidays. For the fall season, you might use the pole to support a scarecrow dressed in autumn colors and then place three or four large pumpkins along the sidewalk. For winter, add a wreath with a red and green plaid bow to each door, window, and the yard light to celebrate Christmas. Later, you could suspend a string of small red or pastel-painted wooden hearts from the wreath on the pole for Valentine's Day and change out this string for a string of small green-painted wooden shamrocks for St. Patrick's Day and the spring season. For a bit of "punch," paint the trim around the garage door the same beautiful red as your front door. I do not know what your budget it, but it seems the house would look better with double windows on the right rather than the single window. Other posters' suggestions for evergreen plants and color are great, but some colorful, seasonal decorations could help with the curb appeal as well.

Beautiful ideas! Thank you so much for you amazing and thoughtful ideas!

It is a stunning garden in the summer, and it’s got to be a jolt to have it shift into brown in the fall and winter. If you aren’t ready to expand your front porch, adding potted plants that do well in the winter (or maybe just heartier plants that you can bring in on extra cold days) on either side of the porch will add greenery and make the front porch appear wider. Definitely consider adding boxwoods, maybe under the window on the right side. Any evergreens will look lovely, and opting for multiple species can help make the yard feel full of life all year long.