Where do you live? Which way does the house face?

I would add evergreen shrubs as a year round background, with flowers and/or flowering shrubs in front of them.

Choose shrubs that, at maturity, will not touch your house.

Perennials often only bloom for a few weeks, so you need a variety of them to give interest all summer, and need to arrange them so there is always something blooming. They are not always low-maintenance since some need to be divided periodically to keep blooming, or dug out when they spread too fast where you have other plants. Or staked so they don't fall over.

Annuals can be a good low-maintenance alternative to the beginner gardener. They need to be replaced each spring but otherwise need little need attention.

I guess those bare branches in the back are your hydrangeas? They look too close to the house. Do they grow well there?

Typically that swooped-out bed at the corner would hold a large shrub or small tree that frames your house. Not a small flowerpot.

The house itself looks very nice; I like traditional red brick.

Thank you Partim. I am in Zone B. House is facing east, and mostly sunny in the front and shade in the evening. Against the wall is Hydrangea. As seen in pic from last summer.

Image 1:

Image 2:Planning to remove green boxwood which is in front of the hydrangeas as they are dead.

I shortened the swooped out bed at the corner, and made the front of the bed a stronger curve.

In a relatively small bed like this, annuals look good because they can provide a consistent area of color all summer. With perennials, you end up with a few early summer bloomers, a few midsummer and a few fall booming. It can look spotty.

Where I live (Toronto) boxwood are now subject to a lot of disease and pests, and people are replacing them with other shrubs rather than spraying multiple times a year.

I think your plan needs more height and depth - your initial comment that it looks "flat" is correct. The hydrangea are nice in summer but depending on how long your winter is, the house would look better for longer with several good size evergreens. In addition to height they are deeper width-wise and provide a visual transition from the house wall to the ground.

You give your zone as B. I think you forgot the number. I understand that you may not want to give too much information but it would also be helpful if we knew a large city close by, or your state/general geographic region. Not all 5B or 6B are the same.

FYI I also "painted" your downspouts to match your brick. The white colour pops, and draws the eye away from the landscaping.

I am in zone 6B.

Some inspro

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Lose all the meatball shrubs. First thing I'd plan for is a small tree (not a conical evergreen) to the far left of the house where you can just see some green growth in your first picture--redbud, Amelanchier 'Autumn Brilliance, etc.. It will balance the mass of the house to the right and help set the house into the landscape.

“… the space feels a bit flat…” yes, because it is. I agree with laceyvail’s tree suggestion, something like a redbud or ? I think your yard would benefit with some ”mounding” or elevation to the left via additional soil or by adding a combination of that & perhaps some boulders or rocks from a stone yard to add dimension & interest. i added elevated planters to the front of my house because I too, felt it looked ”flat”. I like your house, it would be helpful to enlist the services of a landscape designer IMO. Good luck.

Paint the front door a nice color to add a focal point and depth.

Your pictures from last summer/spring are very pretty. Are you sure you don’t just need to wait a bit longer until it is further into spring?

Yes, it's beautiful in bloom, just needs a few evergreens in winter. Dwarf blue spruce is a nice addition.

Good Morning,

Thank you all for the helpful suggestions—please keep them coming!

I agree that adding color to the front door will help create a stronger focal point. Last year, the hydrangeas looked beautiful, and the potted planters on each side of the garage added a nice touch as well.

Unfortunately, three of the green boxwoods did not survive the winter. I’m now looking to replace them and would love recommendations on low-maintenance options that will also introduce more color and enhance the overall curb appeal.