Wow! Thanks Beverly. So are you recommending to extend the mulch bed down further (indicated with the white line)?

Yes and have a landscaper fill it with colorful perennials and shrubs. Something you don't have to fuss with and replant every year. Also reduces your lawn so you use less water, weed killer and fertilizer.

HI -- I think you need a pedestrian sidewalk from the front porch down to the front . You also need to widen that step to the width of the porch . This arrangement will make a separate flower bed with the lamp post and plant that area with a mass planting of one kind of plant like maybe daylilies around and down the area between the new walkway and the driveway. Have the new sidewalk from the porch come ahead and curve a little to the left and back towards the driveway . A curved sidewalk will add some interest . On the left side maybe patio it out a bit with a curved 15 inch high (seating height) stone /brick /wood wall/bench . Then add some plantings in front of that and maybe add a tree or three such as birches -weeping or river . You can get landscaping help from your local garden center or a landscape designer .You can also plant Eco-grass (no-mow) grass.

Thanks for the recommendations Beverly and Lefty!

Hostas and Daylilies everywhere as Beverly suggested! "Dwarf" shrubs are very nice and controllable when they are full grown. Nice home by the way!

You might also consider shutters on the lower window along with window boxes for flowers underneath.

I am a fan of different types of flowers (mostly perennials). Day Lilly's were a great suggestion. Lavender, Butterfly Weed, trailing soapwort (ground cover), ornamental grasses are a couple of my favorites. Hostas are pretty, but can become invasive and need to be divided. Most plants are sun lovers. Not sure how much sun the area gets. Coleus likes the shade. You do have a great blank canvas to work with.

we had our landscaping professionally designed 5 years ago to be more contemporary, elegant and current -and it is just now perfectly grown in and beautiful. we enjoy the updated plantings such as Chicago land boxwoods (extremely hardy), dogwoods that turn an amazing yellow in the winter months, seedums that are vibrant red in fall, dwarf lilac bushes are beautiful in the spring and just the right size to let their fragrance waft through the windows in the spring without blocking the natural light, also, each of the corners of the house have a small Princess Diana tree/shrub - and the crowning glory center front is a Tina Sargent Crab Apple (just has small red berries that the birds love-no mess) ornamental tree that is adorable and so much fun to decorate with Xmas lights and holiday sparkle. We have larger hydrangea bushes and peonies in the back - plant in groups of 3, 5 or 7 - water daily for 1st 1-3 months - leave nice spacing to start out - in a few years it will be filled in and look fabulous. Also - you have enough space to add a water feature (fountain) or sculpture/rock or other accessory if you have a taste for that. Have Fun!!

I would take out the bush by the lamp post and replace with something less intrusive and easier to see through. Something low. You want your view of entry to be open. You need to pull the eye to the other side. I would plant a tree at the corner of your home. I think putting an arch to the front of your landscape bed would be nice to soften your house. I wouldn't extend landscaping to the sidewalk. It looks like a lot of area and you have to replace that and keep weeds out as well. I love intermingling evergreen plants and others and perrenial flowers. A mixture of colors and textures are key in my opinion. Around windows keep the plants back so it doesn't interfere with view of your house. Anticipate full grown height and width and allow a little extra than what the tag says. Research the plants and trees that do the best in your area and make sure you get the specific species that you want. Good luck

Okay I screwed up. You have tree at corner already. I like the outline of your mulch. In keeping the shape the same I might bring it out further. You don't want your plants right up to house and have to allow for growth. I would make circle around the tree and plant some small evergreen and deciduous plantings that only came 3-4' high when grown. If the bushes say 4' I'd allow additional 2' all the way around. You can always fill in with something else but many times plants grow larger than the tag and after all the hard work and nourishment you don't want to have to pull things out. Good luck

Everything looks very neat and well cared for! I agree that the larger bush near the lamppost should go. Also, put shutters on the " naked" window on the left. Add a pretty rug to the front porch, and get an updated lamppost.