Is it in sun all day? Where are you located?

if you want plant suggestions.. you need to tell where you are.. big city name ... and how prevalent are the vermin critters.. and what are you battling.. deer or rabbits???

id neaten up the brick work surrounding the bed ... i would leave the grass there between the bed and the walkway ....to get in and out of cars.. my first thought was expand the bed.. but i rejected that ..

i would also work on removing the ugly old.. over-sheared shrubs near the window ... doenst have to be this year.. just planting a seed for your future ...

in other words.. you should redesign the whole front landscape ... not just the bed with the light.. and as i said.. it can be a 2 or 3 year plan ...

ken

We're in Northern VA in a neighborhood so the critters are generally limited. This area is mostly sunny. It does receive some shade but only in the evening hours when the sun is on the back side of the house.

Ken's suggestion to remove the round shrubs (boxwood?) and coordinate the two beds is brilliant. What's your color preference (pastel or bright, warm tones or cool tones)?

Bright and warm sounds delightful. The hedges by the front window are azaleas (pink blooms).

My northern Virginia suburban garden (Woodbridge in Prince William County) is plagued with deer. You're fortunate to have intact foliage on your hostas, I gave away my hostas and daylilies because they were a deer salad bar. So I shall only suggest deer resistant plants in bright warm tones. Since deer aren't hanging around your yard, let's not attract them ;)

For the lamppost bed, consider achillea Moonshine, coreopsis Zagreb or echinacea Cheyenne Spirit. Add marigolds along the edge for an extra burst of color. Personally I'd remove the hostas from that bed but you may be attached to them.

Plant sources: Merrifield Garden Center has locations in Gainesville and Merrifield. If you're close to I-95, Lake Ridge Nursery on Old Bridge Road (route 123 exit) has a good selection.

Here are some ideas: