What a cutie. I don't know enough about plants to answer your question, but what if you planted another of the round (boxwood?) shrub to the right of the steps under the window for balance? I would also add some more of the white hydrangeas to the left corner around the back of the house next to the bay window. I'm thinking you'll need a tree in the lawn again for sunlight control. I don't think you'd want any trees in the beds around the house.

Take the shutter off the bay window it doesn't look right

Can you post a photo straight on and further back and doing a cottage garden is a matter of a professional landscape program. Just post your preferred colors. Then you can start planning NOW for installation as the cold weather is the best time, not when the plants are to come up.

You are half way there now! Agree that the shutters don't work on the large window but they remind me of the doll house I had years ago, heart cutouts were applied to the shutters! Very cute house and no more appropriate garden for it than a cottage garden.

Agree about adding another boxwood globe or two to the right side of the garden for winter interest, balance and to give some weight to the semi organized chaos of a cottage garden, do the same around the side of the house as well. A modern cottage garden might use ornamental grasses left uncut til spring for some winter interest instead of all evergreen globes. I'd also leave some lawn in front to do the same and allow passerbys more room in case of a misstep. If you feel timid go for 1/3 garden and 2/3 lawn, if brave 2/3 garden and 1/3 lawn. The border between needs to be in wide arcs rather than random curves and continue the line straight across the path so people walking up to the house get to walk through your garden. You may want to expand the pad next to the steps so there's more room for people waiting there as there won't be lawn that can be stepped on.

Go nuts with your favorites. Don't plant in rows but ovals. One type and color plant per oval. Do divide the plants you already have to make larger groups and look for pass over the garden gate things. I'd find a place for your existing plants, don't rehome or discard any. It will look more cottagy and less English garden if you use old favorites that do well in your area. Find some hardy annuals that self seed so weeding becomes editing. Love in a mist is one that goes nuts here in southern California. Sweet alyssum is infamous for seeding all over the place. Buy cheap long lasting bulbs like crocus and daffodils that you can let stay in place year after year. Grape hyacinth is terrific to tuck in a corner, I have a species yellow and red tulip that works too.

Thank you all very much for the suggestions. I hadn't thought about removing the shutters, but I can imagine that would look nice. Can't wait for spring to get here so I can start.

Kathy Yata your feedback is great! Thanks for the help.

I like landscaping that is varied textures of perennials and minimal lawn. You might consider this color scheme for your home and remove the shutters

Since you're in Minnesota you should have plenty of time to browse all the cottage garden stories on houzz for ideas before you can do any actual planting! Good luck, I'm always trying to update my garden, and I would highly recommend going with native plants (very different ones for me in coastal CA) amending the soil as needed, and drawing up a plan with dimensions and sketched in plants before you begin any digging. Your house is adorable and I'm so glad you want to keep a cottage look.

https://www.houzz.com/magazine/lay-of-the-landscape-cottage-garden-style-stsetivw-vs~1822238

https://www.houzz.com/magazine/20-ways-to-get-the-cottage-garden-look-stsetivw-vs~30463

https://www.houzz.com/magazine/12-storybook-cottage-gardens-stsetivw-vs~68863913

https://www.houzz.com/magazine/an-edible-cottage-garden-with-a-pleasing-symmetry-stsetivw-vs~69203839

https://www.houzz.com/magazine/how-to-create-a-cottage-style-garden-stsetivw-vs~62727296

https://www.houzz.com/magazine/nail-your-curb-appeal-cottage-style-stsetivw-vs~69042331

https://www.houzz.com/magazine/help-monarchs-and-other-butterflies-by-planting-common-milkweed-stsetivw-vs~69886619

https://www.houzz.com/magazine/cottages-the-comfort-food-of-architecture-stsetivw-vs~26842284

http://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/query/Cottage-plants

http://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/query/Cottage-garden

Love the Rose arbor, love mirrors in gardens too, big pots, cute cottage

­Hi Adrienne Bernsrd your pretty
house has lots of 'cottage' potential. (See my visualization below)

I agree with the previous comments, remove
the shutters - then you can appreciate the fine lines of the house. Replace the
door with a more 'vintage' style and paint it a cheerful color. Define the
window trim using a darker color that contrasts with the siding.

The nice, level front yard has space for a
'cottage' garden. First, move the clipped hedges, they'd make an excellent
backdrop for the flowers if you put them on each side of the house behind the
flower beds. Add more hydrangeas or other low-growing flowering shrubs,
consider roses (roses have been bred to withstand cold winters). In front of
the shrubs create a deep flower bed on either side of the path, remove the lawn
and add plenty of organic topsoil and fertilizer. Around the edge of the bed,
install aluminum lawn edging like this. It's helpful because it stops lawn grass
growing into the bed and keeps soil, mulch and plants in place. Fill the bed
with an informal mix of low-growing shrubs, flowering perennial plants and
spring bulbs, your local garden center can help you choose.

I notice there are some leaves on the roof,
it may be worth hiring an arborist to inspect the mature trees, they may be
able to 'limb' the trees to prevent leaves falling onto the roof and allow more
sunshine for the flower beds. A finishing touch - place some brightly-colored ceramic
or terracotta pots filled with flowers next to the front door. It will look
beautiful!

I can see my favorite rose, 'The Fairy" in front of your house. It has a very long flowering season, one of the first to bloom and the last to stop. Needs no spraying, very hardy to USDA zone 4a.