Personally, I am not a big fan of "foundation plants" (i.e. shrubbery in general). I have a bed across the east-facing front of my house that is almost entirely perennials. Hosta, dayliles, true lilies, astilbe, fall anenome (Honorine Joubert and Pamina), dianthus varieties, etc.

For your south-facing hot spot, I'd try some black-eyed susans, especially the variety Rudbeckia triloba, It can self-seed if you let it, and has a pleasant airy habit, and blooms in July-August. (about three-ft tall, +/-).

Come back and show us what you accomplish!

Check you local nurseries what they have for your zone. Expand a little bit your flower bed and go with 1-2 identical plants.

Here's an nice Detroit xeriscape. Follow the link for more information.

My Dads Prodject · More Info

The best landscapes usually have a limited palate of plants. As a plant lover this is hard for me! Taking out the underperformers and replacing with a repeat of something already present should help get a rhythm to your landscape. A low ground cover type plant running through your bed would also help with continuity.

Looks like i should probably extend the garden out

I agree the bed needs to be bigger and I love foundation plantings where there is a mix of perennials , shrubs and planned for some color all throght the spring, summer and fall. Some evergreen s ar nice for winter I love planting bulbs in the fall for that burst of color in the spring and all the other plants need to be able to handle that sun in the summer and the watering system needs to be stepped up time wise in the summer . BTW I like a walkway fromm the street to the entry that also allows for more plants . I would stay away from plants that reseed they usually take over a bed good soil prep and a well thought out landscape are IMO the best curb appeal you can have. If I have a time when there is a lull in th color I often plant some annuals to fill in that time slot . I also love big pots by garage doors filled to overflowing with seasonal plants so that in the winter you can have some nice holiday stuff there too.

Please consider plants native to your area. Natives support wildlife, which needs all the help it can get these days, and are more successful with less effort. You can create a beautiful design with natives. Local nurseries are usually helpful with selections.

is there a way to make it better without having to extend the garden? or is it too small in relation to the house?

You asked for landscape help and larger beds are the biggest part of the answer.

You can get some improvement by removing the underperforming plants and replacing them with plants better suited to the site. Doing that will likely make things look a bit more cohesive and planned, but won't do much to improve the overall appearance of your home. Expanding the planting area will make a big difference if that's what you're hoping for.

But I get it . . . I'd love to relandscape my front yard but because it's on a steep slope it would be very expensive and labor intensive, and it's not on the top of my very long wish list. So the planting bed stays small and the plants are mainly evergreen shrubs that are easy to maintain. Priorities, right?

I think some of it is that the area isnt built up in ”mounds” its mostly flat space

Is there a right way to make the shape of the bed?

Heres a top down if it helps

Here are some ideas:

You can expand the bed. Add more of the red & purple flowers along the front of the bed. Also, add another white flowering bush to the other side of the house.

You have no trees and your house bakes in the sun. Here's how to site trees. The most important is to place trees to the west/southwest against the hottest sun of the day. If you can, plant at least one tree that will get large some distance from the house. Closer to the house plant smaller trees for layers of shade. Then do the same to the east/southeast of the house to get shade as long as possible in the morning. Use the same techniques to provide shade for decks/patios/sunrooms.

You'll still get sun when you want it from the south all winter long.