A photo, even with snow, will make it easier to make suggestions. I like to see how much space is there.

I am glad you are removing the barberry.

Azaleas do best if provided some shade and an organic matter rich, slightly acid soil. Can you provide that? Also, in my experience azaleas are quite delicious to deer.

You aren't providing sufficient information regarding your needs.....size, sun or shade, available water, etc.

A photo would be extremely helpful. Azaleas are nice as a foundation planting (not to mention you can mix different cultivars that will bloom throughout the year), but, as rhizo pointed out, azaleas do best in organic matter, and acidic soil. I have also found that they typically do better in partial shade (like, in a shadow part of the day, or near small trees) than full, blazing sun. Oh, and your hardiness zone, soil type, etc, would be helpful. Good luck removing the barberry... definitely not great for mass-planting with, of all things, holly.

Okay, here is a picture. All the snow has melted.

I am in Virginia, zone 7a. The front of my house faces East, and so the front yard gets morning sun until about 2 or 3pm when the shade from the house starts.

I'm not sure what you mean about available water? We aren't in a drought here and so I can water freely but I also need plants that are easy to take care of because that's just the type of person I am.

My soil is red clay. Not well draining at all, but if I plant new plants I will obviously amend the soil well.

Can I just rant about barberry more? I really, really despise it. It's invasive, and it's just horrible. My guess is it was planted as a type of protective measure, since it's right in front of a ground floor window. (But burglars could just walk 20 feet and break through the other window.) Ugh. It's really an awful plant.

It would be nice to see a photo further away to show the WHOLE front of your home. Left side looks cut off.

Your hollies look like Nellie Stevens which is way to big a cultivar for that spot. And whatever you plant there should probably not be limbed up to expose the trunk. I'm thinking more of a solid conical shape. There are a number of hollies that don't have spines, by the way....Japanese hollies, for example. There's a slower growing hybrid called 'Spartan', but it's hard to find now. Also, consider CherryBomb and Winter Bounty hollies.

Barberry is deciduous and I would think, for curb appeal year-round, you might consider all evergreens.

There are some nice, more upright boxwood cultivars that would do OK on either side of your door. Some will warn you of boxwood blight, but I personally have not seen it in my area (Northern VA).

Another to consider is Euonymus 'Green Spire' for either side of the door. They can be bothered by deer, but deer don't 'usually' come to the front door, especially if they smell dogs.

For lower azaleas, I like the Satsuki and Gumpo types, which tend to form a spreading mound. Deer don't bother mine, but rabbits do -- but only in the back of the house where they feel safer from neighborhood dogs.

I would save the larger evergreen upright shrubs to 'anchor' the corners of your home. Something like Ilex x 'Liberty' would be really nice. Or maybe a Schip laurel.

It would be helpful to know where you live (nearest city).

"Barberry is deciduous and I would think, for curb appeal year-round, you might consider all evergreens."

Some are deciduous......many are not :-) And it is the deciduous type that can be invasive but not everywhere. Invasiveness is very much a regional situation. Barberries get a bad rap but they can be a really useful and stunning plant in the landscape.

OP wrote barberry.... I really really despise it. It's invasive and its just horrible. I agree with you on that. Am guessing you're not too far from DC? In that case come to Lahr Symposium tomorrow at the Nat'l Arboretum. The plant sale is free and open to the public. It is sponsored by Friends of the Nat'l Arboretum. There will be lots of alternatives to barberry.

Thanks for the replies so far. The native sale at the Nat'l Arboretum sounds great, but I still have no idea what I should buy. I am in Fairfax, btw.

Okay, here's a farther picture of the house. The christmas tree shaped evergreen next to the driveway is one that is dying on the side that is not pictured. Behind the evergreen on the other side of the walkway are two crepe myrtles that need to be trimmed so they don't drop leaves and flowers into the gutter. I trim it every spring thinking that's gotta be short enough and then it amazes me with how much it can grow in one summer.

The side of the house by the garage is South facing and that's where I have my butterfly garden. The north side is like this: Not sure what can survive here in mostly shade.

Oh, and in case anyone is wondering, that is a silver maple in the front yard and Bradford pears to the side of that. The Bradford pears are actually on HOA property (it's a pipestem so I can't do anything about them). But doesn't it seem like the builders who planted these trees knew nothing about plants? Everything is bad plant, or a bad fit.

Well, to start, NEVER AMEND THE SOIL! The clay soil is great if you know how to work WITH it, and not AGAINST it! Azaleas, I would think, would work, I would choose a variety of different cultivars, this way I could get a mix of colors, and different bloom times, to maximize curb appeal. Other plants you may want to look at are camellia, pieris, sky pencil holly (on each side of the door!), and variegated boxwood.

If at all possible, knock out the silver maple, and, cut the bradford pears back flush with the property line (Yep, that's legal).

Thank you all for the suggestions! I'm off to research all the ones mentioned on this thread. Logan - I agree that tree needs to come down eventually, and sooner than later. We'll see how much that costs!

What a lovely house! I know you didn’t ask about it, but I think what your property is really in need of in addition to more thoughtful landscaping (think beds and boarders), is hardscaping, specifically a larger front porch landing and walkway. Here are a few images you might find inspiring:

Oh my gosh Sammy, those pictures are so beautiful. Those porches...that's what an entrance is supposed to look like. These ideas are way above the scale of what we have budgeted for. But a makeover like what you have suggested has definitely vaulted to the top of my wish list.

I’m also in Faifax County.

Lots things grow in shade, but those thirsty maple roots may pose a problem. Consider Otto Luyken laurel, hardy Camellia japonica, Boxwood, Rhodies and Azalea, Illicium henryi, Autumn fern, Aucuba, Pachysandra, Sarcococca humilis, Hellebores, etc... all for shade.

Walmart had 1-gallon azaleas today for $5. I didn't buy any, but they looked nice.

"Logan - I agree that tree needs to come down eventually, and sooner than later. We'll see how much that costs!"

I've got three. They're terrible trees, weak-wooded, with little value as an ornamental.

I’m so glad you liked them! Even though you might not be ready to take on bigger projects at the moment, you could: 1.) replace those two hollies with container-grown topiary (maybe Steeds holly?) and 2.) replace the lanterns (I assume there are some hiding behind those hollies!) with oversized ones. You’ve got a great house to start with (lucky you!) so it doesn’t need much to really make it perfect. :)

Well, to start, NEVER AMEND THE SOIL!

I want to address Logan's incorrect statement above. Amending clay soil properly is recommended always. What you don't want to do is amend the soil only in the planting hole.

And re the crepe myrtles that the OP seems to be always cutting back. It sounds like crape murder to me, and if they can't grow naturally, they should be removed entirely.

And before you jump for many of the plants posters have mentioned--rhodies, azaleas, pieris--be sure that you have acid soil.

I'm in Prince William county: growing azaleas here is as easy as falling off a log. Rather than buying big box cheapies, I suggest you visit Merrifield Garden Center and select rebloomers. You're going to enjoy them for decades so spend a little more and get nice ones. Skip laurels and hollies are reliable as well. Rhodies and pieris need careful siting: I seldom ever see a happy looking one. Mahonia haven't been mentioned but they're good and deer resistant to boot.

If your neighborhood is governed by a HOA (and many are), removal of a front yard tree won't be allowed (they need to die by natural causes). Anyway, I'd get the replacement tree started before removing the maple since it's your only shade. Generally, trees and shrubs are best planted in October here so they have all winter/spring to establish before summer. Plenty of good nursery stock is available in the fall since we are blessed with several good independent nurseries.

Agreed about visiting Merriefield! Rhodies and Pieris need good drainage (like a slope) and shade. Rhodies appreciate more shade than pieris. They don't like a lot of root competition -- especially from maples.

Looks like your big maple is not really shading your house at all, but maybe your neighbor's? Is it necessary to replace with a large-growing tree? Maybe consider a smaller-growing, more ornamental tree such as pink flowering dogwood, Japanese maple, Kousa dogwood, or red buckeye?

If you are interested, crape myrtles are available in a great variety of sizes, so if you generally like them, replace the one you have with a choice that has both a color and size that you like and will fit without extensive pruning in that spot.