We have recently removed three very overgrown arborvitaes and burning bushes. The front of the house looks very bare and I’d like some foundation plantings that offer year round color and are low maintenance in addition to some perennials and bulbs. Northeast Ohio- zone 5a...or 6... depends who you ask I guess! Here are some my my challenges:

House faces north, no full sun for 6+ hours

Stumps and roots from 40+ year old arborvitaes remain and I have absolutely zero desire to even attempt to pull them out

LOTS of deer- so hostas and hydrangeas aren’t an option

Clay-ish heavy soil

Adams needle yuccas that will not ever die even if there were a nuclear apocalypse

The burning bushes were cut down very low, but not removed. Hoping they’ll regenerate shrub sized

Attached are some pictures of before with the burning bush, a photoshopped image without them and a photo of the sloped back side of the bed where the arborvitaes were (in this area I’m thinking just cover it with ground cover and be done with it.

So.... what would you do with this?