Pretty house. Love the colors. Ranch style which I love. No shutters because windows are perfect the way they are and not the type for shutters. A cottage garden would be lovely and I would make it larger than the bed that is there. I would pull the plants that are there a bit farther out from the house (maybe remove the large shrub on the right-I don't think the color does anything for your house. Greens and chartreuse would light up the area better), and enlarge the bed and mix in a few evergreen shrubs, so you have some color in the winter. Maybe check with your local native plant society for good plant choices. I would also plant a few trees out in the yard. Is there a path going from the steps to a sidewalk/road or driveway. If you love gardening, you could extend any beds along that.

I really like your house. :-)

Looks good. I like the color. I agree: no shutters. But you should have a railing for your porch.

It looks like you have a Japanese Maple on the right. I would have it professionally move out from the house about seven feet and by the right side corner.

Add more depth to the garden with evergreen and flowering shrubs and perennials. Add more color with annuals.

It's a great house. For a cottage style, you just need a lot more flowers. Canada runs the gamut from Vancouver, which is warmer than Maine to inuit territory, so you have to tell us a lot more about the climate to get useful advice on plants.

Start by finishing the stone veneer on the right side of the house and steps. 🙂

Shutters don't look right on a house unless they are the actual size of the width of the windows and look like they could functionally close. Your windows would look strange with shutters because they are varied sizes and your bay window wouldn't have shutters. BUT, people add faux and inaccurate decorative items to houses ALL of the time. For some reason shutters get called out more than anything else. If they make you happy and you want them, go for them. Your house is a ranch and would not have been built with them. If they make you happy, go for it.

You can certainly make a cottage garden. However, take your climate into consideration and plan for what it would look like during all four seasons. You have a lot of nice planting space.

Wow thanks guys! It was my first time posting here, I might just make another post for the inside, seeing your guys' responses! Thank you!

Sigrid, yes you're right, I should have specified. I'm in the Montreal area, so zone 5b.

Houssaon, oh you're right that tree color is blah. Would moving it be very costly, you think? And you said 7 feet to the right, is that just for aesthetic reasons, or would the roots cause damage in the future?

Lastly, the steps to the door (driveway is on the right side of the yard) are like Japanese garden steps. Don't like it at all. I was going to do pavement in herringbone pattern. What do you guys think?

Landscaping and a pretty, bright front door is all you need. Maybe SW Bora Bora Shore? My house is about the same color, so I'm a little biased. :-)

The tree may be too close to the house and may not have enough space if it gets much bigger.