It's hard to tell what you have at the moment. I see a several evergreens and several deciduous shrubs. What are they? Do they bloom? Are they healthy? Do you like them? We are unlikely to be able to ID them without leaves, and even with leaves, it might be tough.

I like broadleaved evergreens for foundation plantings. They are evergreen, but flower. They tend to be Rhodos, Azaleas, Mt. Laurel and a few others. You should be able to find Rhodos, Azaleas, and Mt. Laurel that have pretty flowers and different bloom times (will probably get you to early summer, they don't tend to bloom later than that). They should all be fine facing NE, but going out and looking at how many hours of sun the areas get would be helpful. You can do this easily by taking pics every hour or two.

I'd put shrubs that bloom a bit later and aren't evergreen by the gravel. Clethra is a good choice. Fothergillia and Itea will bloom early. Itea is short, has reddish stems in the winter, flowers in the spring and nice color in the fall. And it's probably native to you.

For all shrubs, pay attention to full size and width. Most shrubs come in anything from huge to tiny. If it becomes too big in a few years, you'll end up pruning off all the flower buds to keep it from blocking your windows.

You can move most shrubs. Spring is preferable, dig deep and wide enough to get the roots, water well until they are fully established (start producing new leaves and shoots.

Thank you so much for this information. Sorry for the lack of photos. I am not a fan of the front of my house (landscape and lack of dimension) so there are few pics. I attached some more here from spring. There is an azalea to the left and hydrangea to the right behind my daughter in the picture. All the way to the right near the driveway is a bush that blooms small pink flowers which I love. Unfortunately, I am not sure of the ID since this was all from the previous owner. Do you think bringing the landscaping forward and more lines of shrubs will help add interest and dimension?

do you have deer?

No we don't typically get deer in our area.

I love hydrangeas.

I would add a pretty Japanese maple on that corner in front of the gas meter. That will help add dimension. Keep your some of your evergreens if you add hydrangeas so your beds aren’t completely bare in the winter.

To begin, I would not recommend any landscaping with a height that approaches the window. (This will minimize the visual height of your home.) I would love to see the overall bedding sizes increased, and curves added. (You could experiment with sizes by laying down a garden hose, for a visual. Since you crave color, speak with a nursery to direct you to specific flowering shrubs that thrive in your area. Next, map out when you can expect the shrubs to bloom. You will want to overlap the time when one shrub blooms/passes to when the next shrub/flowers will bloom. RE: hardscape, Sink/disguise the gutter run offs. Add a front walk way, starting ~in the middle of the driveway. In the side yard/driveway, I would expand the stone area and add an edging that will keep the stone in place.

Thank you so much! This is wonderful advice and really helps with how to start the process. I was feeling very overwhelmed.

One of the landscaping ideas that is mentioned in articles about Cape Cod houses is to consider raised beds with an undulating flow, as it adds to the architectural element. I would love to see a tree in the middle of the lawn lined up with the peaked roof.

Those are beautiful examples! Thank you! We have 2 trees in the front of the house? You would suggest another?

Wasn't aware of the two trees in front. No need to put another. Thought it was just a large expanse of a lawn.

Please post your before, during and after. We love to see!

Avoid the overly-complicated squiggly lines that sometimes result from using a hose to make curves. It works much better to better to use a post and string to draw curves that are simpler. This website has examples of what I mean, and tells how to do it. Don't be afraid to make large planting beds and use evergreen shrubs that will spread wide.

Your house has such pleasant proportions and will look even better with new landscaping.

Do you have a path to the front door from the driveway? I can't see one in your pictures.

https://notanothergardeningblog.com/2012/05/01/curves-wonderful-curves-good-lines-mean-good-designs-part-2/

https://notanothergardeningblog.com/2012/04/11/good-lines-mean-good-designs/