I don't think there is any good reason to highlight your garage doors that way. I would paint them out. Bring in some landscape boulders on the low side.

Thanks! We had not thought of that!

trim down the shrubs and plant some native plants... keep it low maintenance.

I agree with painting out the garage doors... I would also paint out the trim no need to accent.

Thanks!

@Paul F. It's dark and rainy where I am, entertain me. Do something with the dog. 🙂

@Paul F. This is perfect! He is an Aussie and guards our farm! Now how about some plants at the far side of the house to anchor it?

@Petunia 1, Love an Aussie! I'm tagging @Dig Doug's Designs for some help. His suggestions are always great.

@Paul F. Perfect. Thanks so much for brightening my day!

I could tell the dog was on the way to work! Yes, Doug is a pro! He's give you some options. I'm a terrible landscaper.

Paul F. What fun you're having today!!! Thanks

So the house is very MCM style . Do you like that style or do you want more farmhouse look? This is one of my faves for low mainteance but MCM landscaping I use it for inspiration more than an exact copy .Of course has to sheep proof too . The overgrown shrubs need to eith go or be harshly pruned . A couple of trees could be agood start to a plan for sure I think this idea can work in any Zone just adjust the plants .

@Patricia Colwell Consulting .Thanks so much for your comments. The photo you are referring to is a spoof that another commentator was doing yesterday as a joke. We have NO SHEEP. The photo above is the current look of our house. We are not changing any part of the house and are looking for simple foundation planting ideas that would lean towards a prairie style. The surrounding acres we are restoring to prairie specifically designed to attract pollinators. We are keeping this bit of yard around the house. Thanks in advance for your help!!!

agree that Dig Doug will give you great ideas - i think extending the landscaping into the yard so it’s not just lined up just against the house would really soften the facade of the home, I imagine some lovely ornamental trees would be great as well - love seeing Doug’s mockups

Now that I know what you're going for, in addition to @Dig Doug's Designs I'd recommend looking at @Jay Sifford projects, especially the one for his own home in western NC. Maybe Jay will even give some comments on this tread. His work is gorgeous. I'm not far from him and hopefully some day I'll treat myself to his beautiful work.

It's hard to tell what your existing plantings are. Do they flower? Are they easy to trim to a nice size? Are they native? In general, prairie style is adding grasses and pretty much the same height. I'd find some native grasses that are rounded clumps and add them to your plantings as a start. I'd probably move that thing that looks like a Rhodo to your righthand corner and remove the thing that looks like a barberry. Maybe replace it with Standing Ovation little bluestem.

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Definitely add some trees. I like the idea of painting the garage doors and trim.

ps. I love sheep. Maybe you could get some! LOL . It would make your beautiful Aussie happy, I am sure.

Exactly, that dog heads out day after day looking for sheep.

I see a swath of prairie plants across the front of this photo. Something like this? (Sorry that they erase the dog!)

Plants are Liatris pycnostachya (prairie blazing star), Achillea millefolium (common yarrow), Dalea purpurea (purple prairie clover), Schizachyrium scoparium (little bluestem) left to right across the front, Rhus copallinum (shining sumac), Panicum virgatum 'Cloud Nine' (tall switchgrass), Amsonia tabernaemontana (Eastern bluestar), Panicum virgatum 'Shenandoah' (red switchgrass), more little bluestem, and Nepeta (catmint; various species) right to left nearer the house. All native except the catmint. Added a tree for height, left a few shrubs for their darker color and visual weight.

I too like the garage doors and trim painted to match the house, to focus attention on the entry and to give the house the long horizontal line so characteristic of the prairie. And I widened the walk (someday, maybe?).

@simplynatural Thanks so much! I love this. I have some Joe Pye Weed I'd like to encorporate. Do you think it is tall enough to have at the far right end of the house? The bush between the garage and first set of windows is a burning bush-- which I'll probably keep. The ones next to it are spirea (with pink flowers and lime green foliage). They are planted to close to the walk way, so I'll be moving them. To the right of the fron door is a viburnum--which I'll also prune and keep. the next bush by the lower window will be taken out.

Careful with the height… You won’t be able to see the sheep.

The joe pye weed should be fine at the right corner; it would have the same tall presence as the tall switchgrass. And there's nothing sacred about the arrangement near the house. The idea is just to start incorporating the more relaxed grasses, etc., of the prairie, as others have said. You will have a great time come spring!

Since you are interested in native species for your landscape, you might want to reconsider the burning bush (euonymous alatus)) which is considered an invasive species. In Maine, where I Iive, it's actually illegal to sell it, though you don't have to remove them from your Maine garden if you already have them! They are no longer sold because they out-compete native plants. Years ago I planted a hedge of burning bush, and I can report from that experience that they self-sow liberally.

"We'd prefer using easy maintenance and prairie type plants."

Sadly prairie and low maintenance are pretty much mutually exclusive. Prairie plantings, while looking carefree and naturalistic, do need a good deal of care. In the absence of herds of buffalo and wild fires you will need to do the cutting down, weeding and debris removal yourself.

"Disadvantages:
Needs as much maintenance and management as a traditional herbaceous border."
https://www.rhs.org.uk/garden-design/prairie-planting-creation-maintenanc 

I think you might want to consider how your lot falls away from the house on the right hand side. I don't think you have to do retaining walls, but terracing the front should be considered.

If you like prairie-style/naturalistic look, I have ordered from prairiemoon.com. You get plugs so they are less expensive than plants in bigger pots. I have bought 2 of their "garden kits" - pollinator garden kit and classic tallgrass prairie garden. They grow very fast and will start flowering in the same growing season. I like their garden kits because you get a good mix and they cost less than if you buy each plant individually. Prairienursery.com is very similar - but I have not ordered from them. I have also ordered from thepollennation.com - you also get plugs but you have to order a minimum of 5 for each plant and a minimum order of 25 plants.

I do the sheet mulching method of killing grass. I usually do this in the fall - I lay down cardboard, leaves and compost on top of the grass. It'll be ready for planting in the spring. With your sloping yard, you may have an erosion problem if you do this method. I would do smaller garden beds at a time.

@RTHawk- thanks for your suggestions. I looked up Prairiemoon.com and they are not too far from us! We've done sheet mulching too in other areas of our property and have been considering it here too. I've got year old straw from my strawbale garden last year for mulch to use up. Thanks again!

Here are a few suggestions: