Will it have a patio? And a walk to it? Those would be the first thing to develop.

Instead of 2' depth as a surrounding mulch bed, why not a regulation foundation planting the same as a house would get?

I agree that a patio (not too pricey, if you have the oomph to do it yourself) and a paver or stepping stone walkway would be a top priority. Also, check out Craigslist for people who are giving away or selling extra plants from their yards for cheap.

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thank you. I will opt for a 5 foot mulch bed. for some reason, there are tons of homes this style in our city that are not mulched. I guess it is a (modern) look ? ... but the mud bothers me. we were planning on extending the small concrete landing out to the end of the doors / windows by building a flat patio of cut of natural bluestone / flagstone and a walkway of the same. on the front side of the patio, in order to create privacy, we will build a 6 foot tall fence. it sounds like form this thread, we would be wise to finish the patio and walkway first and then fill ground cover from there. thank you

Yes the hardscape comes first. Seeding the area will mitigate the mud pretty quickly as the weather warms and won't be a problem to deal with when it comes time to plant.

If you don't want mulched planted beds up against the house you don't have to have them. There are other design options. A two foot wide band of mulch just isn't one of them and makes us think foundation planting beds.

Do I understand that you're going to enclose the patio, which is in front of the windows, with a privacy fence? That sounds like a view killer.

You could just use 2 truck loads of gravel for the area around guest house. Cheap and easy.

I have had two houses with front gardens in the shade. I live in zone 5-6, though, so my plant suggestions will have to be checked to see how well they work in your area. For height, there are some Japanese Maples that are low understory trees that can give you some interest at a human level. A local nursery will know what works in your area. Article on smaller understory trees.

I have a dwarf witch hazel bush of the variety called Fothergilla Mount Airy. Please go to the link and see the spring flowers, the natural summer foliage and the flaming fall color.

For low color with almost no maintenance, consider Heuchera. Coral Bells is the common name. They come in purples, maroons, lime green, terracotta, peach.... They work up to zone 8, so probably are fine in Virginia. Picture of Huechera

Along the same lines, Hosta provide color and texture in greens and blue-black and lime to white and yellow. Foliage is the thing. There are flowers and you will have to cut the stalks off after they are done, same as Heuchera. In fall or spring, you cut off the old plant of the Hosta to be ready for the new leafs in spring. With Heuchera, the foliage continue year to year and need a bit of clean up in the spring. Otherwise, you just plant and water if it gets very dry. Fertilize a couple times a year.