bump

Because of the symmetry of the house façade if it were mine I would do straight lines, matching pairs etc. on the ground in front of it. And would definitely have had a straight entry walk come straight out from the door, instead of that angled, curving one which the contrasting boldness of the house's pattern is making look like a dribble or squiggle. (Yes, the driveway is curved - so I might have compromised with something like a straight sided walk that changed direction right before the driveway was reached).

The alpine garden style rock placement also does not link up with the absolute formality of the house design. (The geometry of the house may be what prompted you to place two identical planters at the entrance. These being present now serves to additionally emphasize the dichotomy between the style of the house and the style of the garden scene you have been making directly in front of the house).

If I just bought your place today I would actually replace the walk and remove the rocks, plan a geometric garden layout that echoed the front of the house. And choose plants that would lend themselves to being part of this scheme. I would do this on at least this part of the property, that is dominated by the front of the house. And not necessarily anywhere else on the lot.

For me, the walk would have to go away, too.

Your bloomstrucks may or may not bloom for you. The flower buds, which are set the previous season, can be susceptible to really cold weather or late spring frosts. How they do may depend on how close to the ocean you are. The plants will be hardy but the flower buds are iffy in much of New England. Also, most blue spruce are susceptible to needle cast fungus in New England so those may not be a particularly long lived plant. They are native to the mountain west, so like drier air than we have here.

I also am a fan of broad sweeping curves rather than random squiggles And so like Yardvaark’s walkway shape. I don’t mind the rocks because they are just part of the New England landscape, so look ok just about anywhere here IMO. And while the house may be symmetrical, it isn’t formal, so while I would add some of the same things to both sides, I don’t seem a need for formal symmetry in the plantings.

It is difficult to suggest placement without being able to see what is to the left of the house. I assume what is to the right of the photo is driveway. My inclination would be to plant things that don’t exceed 3’ or so in front of the house as in Yardvaark’s illustration and put a Japanese maple diagonally off the left corner, but I cannot tell if that would work from this photo.

Good call about not growing shrubs where snow dumps, though I have been successful with shrubs that I can cutback hard in that zone when there is winter damage. Both summer-blooming Spiraea and Annabelle hydrangea can be cut to 6” in early spring and will regrow and bloom well the same season.

Plan on some evergreens so there is winter color, or perhaps some of the smaller red twigged dogwood cultivars for winter color. Examples include evergreen flowering perennial ground covers such as Veronica Georgia Blue or Dianthus Firewitch, birds nest spruce, or low growing junipers.

the house may be symmetrical, it isn’t formal

Geometrically symmetric = formal in garden design. So that there are tiny formal gardens in existence.