TAB your new home is delightful! I'm so glad to see new construction that oozes with character; so many are churned out that are mundanely cognate. I'm dying to see the inside!

We can't answer your question without knowing your planting zone. I'm glad you mentioned the stone because it was hard to see in the photo. Are you facing north?

The one tiny mis-step I see, pun intended, is that the steps are narrower than the opening between the railings. I fear that someone will step off the porch and miss, and that if you plant a sky pencil to either side it will look silly. I'd widen them if you can, and hedge them in if not, I guess.