Are you familiar with red twig dogwood? Beautiful in the growing season but the bonus is what you get in the winter. With foliage gone, the stems turn bright red. Mix it with a clumping, flowering Japanese grass.

If you want easy care choose old fashion favorites. Daylily, aster, shasta daisy and iris can go years without needing division. There are dwarf varieties of wegelia and spirea that don't get over 3' tall and 4' wide. Just be sure to read the labels before you buy. If a plant will eventually grow to 4' wide do not plant it closer than 2' to a wall, pathway or another plant. All plants will be small when you get them. There will be space between. You can fill in with annuals and short-lived perennials for the first few years. You can also plant early blooming spring bulbs such as snow drops, crocus and anemone to come up between shrubs and perennials. The emerging foliage of shrubs and perennials tends to hide fading bulb foliage. Here is a PHOTO of spring bulbs in a border.

Check out native plants and grasses for your garden zone. I'm guessing it's Zone 6.

Consider taking your photos to your local nursery, they can offer best suggestions on selection and layout based on how much sun covers that area.

Since you have a couple of hydrangeas along there already, I'd use several more in the new section. Then add evergreen shrubs for winter interest.

Are those hydrangea? They’re going to be waaay too big right there unless they’re a small variety like Bobo or Little Lime. Do you know what kind they are?

@littlebug zone 5 Missouri

I don’t know. we moved in two years ago and they havent bloomed yet!

Do you think I should remove them?

Just as a point of reference, THIS is what it look like when we purchased the house. Crazy, isn’t it?

We’ve done a lot of ripping out and fixing but now it’s time to build it back, but in a nice way.

Here are three inspiration photos.

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I'd remove the overgrown shrubs in front of your windows so you can start fresh. Look for a plant to ground the space that will look good all year - maybe a dwarf blue spruce or a dwarf japanese maple, and then fill in with perennials for color. Choose a plant that will stay below the window frame when fully grown.

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You might take your “after“ pics to a reputable, local nursery for planting suggestions for your area.

@calidesign

that’s the BEFORE photo…

there is nothing growing there now except the hydrangeas.

You're in zone 6. You've lived in this house for two years and the hydrangeas haven't bloomed yet. That doesn't feel right to me. Have you pruned them?

They have never bloomed. we pruned the first year, then I read that we shouldnt have so I’ve left them alone since.

When we looked at the house before buying, it was summer and they were not blooming…

When to prune a hydrangea depends on the species and whether it blooms on new wood or old wood. Here is one ARTICLE. If you pruned the first year at the wrong time, they might not bloom the second year. Hydrangeas are said to live up to 50 years if properly cared for. If they don't bloom this year, you should check with a local nursery on what could be wrong.

Thank you.