I'd add some evergreen azaleas or rhodos. I'd put some moss phlox in front of them. You can inkberry instead of boxwood. It's native.

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No box unless you are willing to build little teepees for the winter. It will fry in winter sun.

No azaleas unless you are sure you have acidic soil.

Do you have deer?

Yes there are deer around

Check out your local nurseries for deer resistant plants/shrubs.

Please give us a picure of the entire house, front on, showing some of what's on either side of it.

here you go. ignore the snow we got this morning

Thanks! What have you planted in front of the porch? The goal here is to create a unified look for your home instead of two areas with different styles that clash.

"Old Gold" Juniper has nice yellow and green foliage and is evergreen in 5b. Mature size 3feet tall and 5 feet widebut can be pruned to hedge shape or pruned to a natural look. Slow growing 6"/year.

The color would be gorgeous with your gray house.

There were hostas in front of the porch at one point but the spot got too much sun so i had to take them out

I do like the juniper as well. Could that be mixed with some hydrangeas some how to add some color?

Look at hydrangea paniculata Bobo for a smaller hydrangea that thrives in sun.

You can always mix in sixpack annual flowers for seasonal color.

I don't know of any flowers that bloom in harsh winters. Dwarf Holly would provide color in winter.

I definitely want something evergreen to go with the hydrangeas to provide some color in the winter since the hydrangeas lose all their leaves

Two great choices so far that do not die back in winter...not sure what more you are looking for along the house's foundation as a hedge.

You want more of a mix of plants? That is different from a "hedge". It sounds more like a cottage border if that's what you mean.

Your local nursery will have plants that thrive in your area and will give free landcape consultation and design if you buy plants from them.

Thanks everyone

Of course a hedge can be a mix of plants, my bad. Our hedge has four types of plants. But hedge implies plants that can easily be pruned to shape. Semantics.

I found this info about Hydrangeas:

Yes, hydrangeas can generally handle hard pruning for shaping, especially certain varieties. Hydrangea paniculata and Hydrangea arborescens (like Annabelle) are particularly well-suited for hard pruning and will often produce more flowers with this approach. However, hard pruning on other types of hydrangeas, like those that bloom on old wood, can impact the following season's blooms.

Let's call it a border of low shrubs. Using helleri holly, Bobo hydrangea paniculata, bird's nest spruce, inkberry holly, dwarf boxwood or other low shrubs creates a pleasing combination and doesn't require frequent shearing to maintain size.

I wish the OP would consider roses for color instead of hydrangeas.

What kind of roses would you suggest? I am open to all options.

Also, a house being built near me has a drawing for their for sale listing that has an orange reddish type of bush. Is this bush a real thing for my area (5b)? Its really hard to see any detail since its a drawing.

The reddish shrub is barberry (invasive in some parts of the US).

Google "Drift roses" to consider compact, low maintenance landscape roses.

I think the reddish shrub might be Spiraea japonica 'Goldflame' pictured in spring. Deciduous. I think it's too loose, too large leaved and the wrong colour to be Barberry.

"Let's call it a border of low shrubs." Hah, love it!