What a great wrap around porch! I would have comfy & pretty white chairs, rockers I think, & tables. Maybe a porch swing at the top end of ”L” away from door. Nothing on the lattice? Why is it there? The hedge needs major cut & should be no higher than porch top. No clues to your location but maybe a less formal hedge with some flowering shrubs? Looks like sidewalk prevents widening the planting bed but maybe one could be created on grass side of sidewalk? Need to see the whole house from much farther back to know if that’s a good plan.

I would get rid of the hedge and plant something lower so that the entire decorative porch railing was visible. Maybe a couple of colorful hanging baskets between the porch columns. Lovely house!

I love your porch, always wanted one. i would remove those hedges & re-landscape with something else, with ”what” depends upon your location.

Great porch! I'm a gardener, so I'd also want to remove the hedges and add more interesting plants around the porch. However, another alternative is to just shorten the hedges and then spend your energy (and money :) decorating the porch for the different seasons and holidays.

I love your porch! Love the yellow and white, and the beautiful wide front steps. I agree with everyone else to shorten the hedge in the front, but no more than the railing. Plant something bushy to the side that will hide the downspout, and remove the lattice. Your front steps are the kind that every magazine features, where you can place some pots of flowers. Maybe you could do some hanging baskets. This is all super easy and little expense. The one thing that is an eyesore in my opinion is the window AC units, and I would def. remove those.

That is a beautiful house. The portico is outsized and out of proportion, probably a later "upgrade". I'd restore it to the original. That said, if the original was just a continuation of the porch roof, you might have snow falling on your head if you don't rake your roof over the stairs, which is a pain when you have to stand on the stairs to do it.

The hedge is boring, you can probably transplant you yews elsewhere. I think small shrubs on either side of the beginning of your path look good.

We'd need better photos further back to suggest landscaping options. The good news is, your house is plenty appealing already and nothing seems outright BAD so there's no rush to fix it up.

With budget in mind, trim the hedge below porch level but don't remove it. If you pull it out, you'll be stuck spending money on something to hide the foundation and nothing is a more sensible backdrop than a healthy yew hedge. Then the porch furniture will show. You plant fun stuff in front of the hedge. You might be tempted to go whimsical on the hedge and sculpt it with a wavy top or something silly like that. You should give in to that type of temptation. The house would love it. :)

The yellow is excellent. It doesn't even look dirty in the photos but I trust you that it needs a washing.

Do the lattices on the porch serve a purpose? They can probably go.

Contact a local landscape architect to compose a landscaping design. Good landscaping can work wonders.

I like the shrubs, but if you take them out, this is a general idea of lower plantings. I would take your pictures to a trusted local nursery for ideas on what plants do well in your area and would be suitable in your conditions. Scour online sell sites, garage sales, etc for decor — birdbaths, pots, etc.

Search ’Victorian landscaping ideas’ and other similar terms for inspiration.

Plant a clematis to fill the lattice. They like their feet in the shade, head in the sun. Lovely purples available. See your local nursery (not Home Depot as they often stock plants not suitable for your region).