@Dig Doug's Designs

@Celery. Visualization, Rendering images

Here are a few suggestions:

What a great house. So glad to see it recovered from any tree damage.

I agree with you the name of the game here is not to get busy or overcrowded. I don't think you need much at all. I would attend first to making your walkway more handsome, but I wouldn't add brick pillars at the sidewalk. I'd restore the health of the lawn but would actually removie the reddish bushes and probably the boxwoods too. Can you have hydrangea? I realize it's a pretty common choice, and maybe a local landscaper could get you something unique, but I think mounds of soft hydrangea bushes, with their big flower heads, would be lovely.

I have mixed feelings about the planters at the foot of the steps. I realize you need something there, but I feel those big tubs are not it, and urns would be right either. Too bad Chinese foo dogs are so expensive. If I an find a picture of planters I think would look nicer, I'll post a photo.

Yes planters are already gone! The reddish bushes have already been removed and the boxwoods are coming out as well. Everything is being removed pretty much. The front of the house is west facing and take direct sunlight in the afternoon. I’m not sure hydrangeas would work but I know nothing about plants!! I do want to make the walkway more appealing!

You should post your zone or location so people know what to recommend for your local climate. Also say if you have deer or kids (no thorns).

If you haven't bought new planters yet and plan to get some, I thought these were nice.

https://www.wayfair.com/outdoor/pdp/campania-international-cumberland-fiberglass-planter-box-cmna1529.html

I updated the original post. I had to google what zone because I am clueless to these things. We’re apparently in zone 7b. I do have a child but he’s 13. We also have a dog but he’s primarily only in our backyard since it’s fenced in. I do like those planters! Thanks.

I love your house. What a classic beauty.

When you say, "Any suggestions for what to plant that won’t become over grown..." and that you don't know your zone, it makes me think that you probably don't want to do a lot of maintenance, and need a full sun, slow growing shrub, that doesn't reach a tall height because you don't want to block your porch, and you don't want to do a lot of pruning. I'd go to various nurseries in your area, show them a picture of your house and ask them for just what I described above.

They will start to list off a lot of plants that will work for you. They will probably also have some other suggestions. If you can go during times when they are not busy, you have the best chance of getting more in depth answers. You might also ask multiple people at the same place to kind the person who knows best.

Do both sides of your front get equal sun light or is something across the street or a tree on the sidewalk possibly giving dappled shade to the left side of your house causing the shrubs to grow smaller? I have this going on with two urns placed on either side of my entrance. It isn't super obvious that there is a light difference but it has a huge impact on the growth of plants.

This home has simple shrubs in front, like yours. I like how they extended the foot print of the bed so the shrubs have some depth and layering and are not just in a flat line against the house.

Plaza Midwood Craftsman - 2nd story addition · More Info

I suspect this is more ornate than what you are looking for. Although the bed is straight across the front of the house, it also have three different height levels to the plants, which also adds depth. Insteading that they used planters in the garden for sculptural and color effect.

Palo Alto Historic Home · More Info

I'd do viburnums, azaleas and rhodos instead of hydrangeas. To ensure they don't get overgrown, check the full size before you buy. With Azaleas and Rhodos, you can get anything from tiny to huge.

Your left side might be a bit shadier than the right. That just means you have a bigger choice of azaleas and rhodos for the right. But, it also means you should not expect symmetry if you plant the same things on either side, as per Dig Doug's ideas. You notice he photoshopped out the shade visible in your pic. You want to aim for balance, because, as shown in your pic, the different sizes of the same bushes looks a bit lopsided. If the issue is shade (likely) rather than soil (not particularly likely) you can't fix it by improving the soil.

I'd put a dogwood or other shade-tolerant flowering tree nearish to the left corner.

@Patricia Colwell Consulting the joise acraully looks completely dofferent at the moment due to repairs from the tree damage. The exterior is SW alpaca with Swiss Coffee trim and Urbane Bronze on all the areas that were previously painted purple That’s really helped lighten the porch!

Both sides of the house should get equal sun now. The tree that fell on our house was a large oak tree that was on the left side.