yep.. first things first ... that lawn isnt a bocci court.. or baseball diamond.. so get rid of at least 4 feet of the grass ... THEN start thinking about what to plant in your new bed ... you should always leave at least a foot or two at the back of the bed for house maintenance... ladders.. gutter cleaning.. window washing.. etc.. etc... ad nauseum ...

and if it take two or 3 years.. to get where you are going.. so be it ...

ken

ps: take a walk around your neighborhood.. and see what others of done ... especially noting why some landscapes seem to work.. and others are a mess .. and i bet what you will find ... is that those who site the plants better ... end up with a more pleasant effect ... snap a pic or two... we can opine ... basically.. what you lack.. is a goal .. define your goal.. and you can make it happen .... but until you can .. etc ...

Thank you both. I'll send another image shortly. I confess that I think I was confused at the super overwhelming plant sale at our state fairgrounds, and thought the limelights were the little limes. :( So I have plants prob too small for that space. We're on a pretty tight budget, so I'm not necessarily inclined to totally ditch the plants.

I've had hydrangea envy every year since I moved here from MD 4 years ago, so I went a little crazy (but the pots are small and were half off). I had intended to put some in my backyard but can swap any of these around.

The width of the front right corner is 14.5 feet, and 6 feet to the windows. The front left is the SE corner, but is somewhat shaded by boulevard trees. The tree to the left is an ash, which I need to have evaluated for emerald ash borer. I don't have any way of knowing now if it will need to be removed or not.

Here's what I have to work with:

3 limelights (too much, I know).

3 fire light hydrangeas (5-6 feet tall and wide)

1 incrediball hydrangea (4-5 feet tall and wide)

1 ninebark royalty

I kinda love the bright green of the limelights, and thought it would look amazing against our darker siding. But I'm willing to switch since it might not work.

As for vision, I guess I don't have anything specific. It was all native grasses and some perennials when we bought it, but the grasses didn't survive.

So, back to the front...any ideas on what I could do with some of what I have? I like the ivory halo, def want some hydrangeas in front, and am open on corner.

And I know I lost my mind on the shrubs. I can def unload some on a local swap board, but I'd like to use at least some of them :P

The only thing, though, is that I don't think I'll the pink of the fire light with the red trim of the house. I really should have got the little limes. :( How crazy would it be to just put in one limelight? Or maybe the two but then no corner shrub? Or maybe just deal w/ my issue w/ pink and red on the front?

The limelights are plausible as small "tree" at one or both corners, Mine are a bit open at the bottom, like a multi-stemmed small "tree", which permits an evergreen groundcover below which could tie the whole bed together. (Unfortunately in my situation, said gc is the previously existing pestilential wintercreeper euonymous....don't plant that!) But I think the limelights are going to be too tall for area in front of your windows.

I agree, they are too tall for the front of the house. :(

There's no need to ditch any of the plants, but take your time planting them. Find a nice little nursery spot on your lot that is convenient to care for them, but also where you'll see them regularly. Study them and learn all you can about their care and culture. It's fun!

I thought Ken gave some really good advice to walk the neighborhood. St Paul has some great neighboods, but the residential areas around Summit and Grand are especially great for getting ideas. If you see someone out tending their plants engage them. I don't know too many gardeners who don't like to talk about their garden.

Are you commited to maintaining that front yard? One trend on small urban lots is to convert the entire front into a garden. You do this and your plant choices just expanded greatly. Personally, I'd also include a small patio for afternoon tea...or wine!

Thanks! I found someone to purchase the limelights so I think I'll replace with the more appropriately sized little limes. I love sprawling beds instead of lawn, but I have small boys who love to play soccer, have nerf battles, etc. So we need some turf for the time being. I'd love any votes for the corner tree. Viburnm? Mohican or double fire? Or just go with the royalty ninebark I already have? I love ninebarks but not sure they are worthy of corner spots....And I'd love some spring blooms....