Thank you! I had also thought of sedum.

I agree - we have them at the back and side of the house and they do fine. We have had them looked at and tried fertilizing, cutting out dead branches. They are not dead but continue to get more spindly. No one can give us answers. They get morning sun. No salt gets on them.

I'd start with a simple soil test. Though the first thing that comes to mind is a drainage issue.

Something is significantly wrong, and the first thing is to figure out what.

I don't see anything that looks like a Yew in pic #1. The stuff under the arched window and near the door looks like it might be yew. If the plants in pic #1 are, indeed yews and so are the ones under the arched window, then the issue is probably watering. The eave might be preventing your shrubs from getting much water.

You don't want a "hydrangea tree" in that bed. You don't have the room. A small hydrangea like tiny tough stuff might work. I'd look at grasses if I were you.

Another suggestion is to echo a bit of the red of the Japanese maple. You can get ninebarks with red leaves, like Lady in Red.

It is boxwood under the arched window. Yes yew by front door and in first picture. We have a sprinkler system so too little water should not be an issue. We have so many grasses on left side of house and other gardens at back so thought I’d like something else. Thank you for your other ideas.

Here are some suggestions using Soft Touch Holly (check your soil first , as suggested previously):

Thank you I really like your ideas!

I've lost a few yews due to heavy clay soil that apparently stayed too wet. Others did very well, especially in part shade. When they're getting too much water, the needles will turn yellowish like that. If they're not getting enough water, the needles turn brown. In my experience, boxwoods have been more adaptable to different conditions than yews.

Thanks for the information.

You have a pretty house and nice sized yard. I would enlarge the bed to the left, so you can plant some things farther from the house. Everything you have looks squeezed up against it. You want to leave space behind the plantings. With only four feet in the depth of the bed on the right, I would plant perennials across and back toward the front door. I would also add a couple of trees out front away from the house, but then I love a number of trees in the front yard.