Additonal pics

Looks like you already have a nice design with beds. What garden zone and nearest big city?

What is growing there now? One thriving plant has purple blooms and one has light green leaves.

You have a lot of planting beds vs grass for a front yard. What did it look like last summer say at the height of the gowing season when it would have looked it's best? What do you mean by cleaner? A few of your beds are made with stacked stone-which is a more casual some might say messier look. Early spring is not a great time for planting beds as far as over all look.

Agreed with this. We paid for a plan that came with everything we needed explained ajd then we picked away at it. So happy to have had time to spread it out.

We are near Boston. I have tulips and Azelia growing now

It's a bit early to comment on your garden. What does it look like in the middle of summer? And what does "a cleaner look" mean? More color cohesion --- we need pics from after when spring has fully sprung? My feeling is gardens should be irrationally exuberant.

I'd take a picture every 2 weeks until fall and then pinpoint what needs work. Any advice you get based on these pictures, before many plants have fully emerged is just going to be bad.

As a side point, I'd recommend painting the white pipe on the front of the house. Even if you don't get a perfect match with the siding, something reasonably close will help is disappear.

+1 on the paint match

Some inspro

Just addressing a "cleaner look", I'd get rid of the cobbled edging. It is messy and unattractive and I find it very distracting. I'd work tidying up the stone walls as well.

I also agree to working with a landscape designer to develop an overall plan you can work on as time and budget permit.

More woodland shade landscaping for the front

The area for foundation plants Red Arrow needs to be addressed.

I have taken out your double hung windows which are not appropirate to the style of the home at all

Not sure why there is a downspout in the middle of the wall. There has to be a better way to address the water coming off the short roof area.

The white line that looks like a downspout could be part of a mini-split HVAC system behind the shrubbery on the left side of the house.

Agree with gardengal48’s assessment. Hire a landscape designer for guidance …

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The pipe is for air conditioning it is on the list to paint! I will find a pic of summer previous
Thinking

Mini split

Some of the before - before we pulled out the shrubs - we transplanted them elsewhere in the yard - thinking pencil holly trees in front of the stone by wallk way and not sure what the line the walkway with- we don’t have as much shade as we used to - we took a tree down and our neighbor did too

It's lovely. Now you need sun vs shade. How much work do you want the yard to be? Evergreens can be very tidy, layers of flowering perennials would be WOW but they are work. I think you've recieved your best advise. Find a reputable nursery who would work up a plan and fulfill it over time.

Go all the way. Get rid of the multiple beds and have a lawn if you want a "cleaner" look. Leave one big wide and deep bed where your trees are now. Don't change the soil level for those trees if you don't want them to die. They are incredibly valuable. In fall, just blow all the leaves into that one big bed for easy fast cleanup and the trees will live. Consider widening your patio by the house instead of more bushes... for your "cleaner" look.

@Didi can you edit your original post to say what zone you are in and what direction your front yard is so we know what light quality and quantity it gets now that it no longer has shade from the tree you removed? Also, why did the tree die? Road salt, lightening strike, invasive insect or disease? What species was it? Are the rest of your valuable trees under threat? Do you live in an area where your weather is becoming warmer and you need to replant with more heat-tolerant species? Was that tree protecting you from hot summer afternoon sun and you want to replant?https://planthardiness.ars.usda.gov/home your tax dollars at work for you.

Zone 6a the larger tree that shaded most of front was further down the drive way had to come down bc of a septic problem it had to go because of the roofs

Roots

We took a picture of our home/yard and headed to a large nursery (during their down time). It was really helpful and was free as they knew we would be purchasing from them. They made suggestions based on our soil, discussed height variations which is important (you need more) and blooming times from early spring to fall so there was always color. Living in Boston (we live in Toronto) considered what it would look like in winter (ie: added boxwoods and evergreens and a large bolder). If needing ideas visually there are all kinds of combinations on line.

I absolutely love your house and if it were mine I would definitely accentuate it's mid century modern vibe. First I would get rid of its beige exterior, there's no beige in my world. I would paint it a dark color, like charcoal, with a fun color door, like Lime or Pink. As for the yard, less is more. Again I would go MCM with rocks and spikey plants. Also Hydrangas, because my grandmother had plenty of them in the 1950s, and they do well in New England. Not loving the stone walls, they want to be more defined. I would turn much of that into lawn, or wild flowers....unless you want to spend your life gardening.

First, I think that the front beds can all stay pretty natural because of your mature trees. I love the look of the meandering walkways and such. Looks like hostas and a mix of woodland plants etc. I think it contrasts nicely with the mid century architecture of the house. What doesn’t look good is the mashup of styles going on. All of the lawn and house adornments need to change to a more modern look.
Remove; flag, number, lamp post lamps/bell?, planters, lattice, etc. Go all black geometric (squared not rounded) in shape for everything. Paint AC line same as house color. One house light, at least 15” tall to the left of the door, about 12” and numbers under that. Front door and side panels needs to be painted all black or the front screen door needs to change to wood look brown like the side lights. So it all looks cohesive. And if you want a flag, put that on either lamp post in the gardens.
Majorly cut back that Rhodedendron on the left, so that it’s just in front of that tall window on the left side of the house. Get rid of the right part that covers the overhang area.
In the front yard adding a few more structured shrubs here and there and maybe 3 smaller trees would look really great, and would unify everything. One small tree, upright growing, should definitely go directly lined up with the end of the front most eve overhang, to cut that view of the horizontal line up that runs above the door. Or add some kind of modern pergola with a small patio under that over the front door and to the left to disguise the long horizontal line of the house. If you choose a tree, it should not be planted too close to the house, maybe out near that low horizontal wall. I also would add some structured shrubs along the house to tie everything together.
Do not plant anything that will grow taller than the windows. You may also need supplemental watering under deep eves, drip hoses?
Do not flank the doors symmetrically. The architecture does not lend itself to that.

I love @Bailynn Hye’s suggestion!

I would also do what @Maureen said - go to the garden center for help. They know what will grow in your area and many will do a free plan when you buy from them.

your home has beautiful lines. Though your stone surrounded beds have a natural feel, imho you have too much of a good thing which looks jumbled. I would simplify the front yard with low growing native sedge (no mowing) with areas of flowering ground cover like native geranium maculatum. A good choice in front of the windows is native northern bush honeysuckle (Diervilla lonicera - not a honeysuckle at all and not invasive.) It has yellow flowers into fall. Pollinators will love you for it.

Pretty. If it were me, I would put more azaleas to the left of walkway in picture. I would put some hostas in the circle with the lightpost. Not sure what to do closer to the house. I agree with going to the garden center if DIY'ing or hiring a landscaper.

This is a closer view thinking a pencil bushes near the pole. And orientalist grass along the walk way?

Start by putting perennials up near the house. Also cluster same flowers together instead of all the beds having a few of each. Look at photos online or in a garden book.

And - be sure to avoid the "miniature golf course" look.

Didn’t you say you wanted a cleaner look?

If that’s really what you want, don’t add more. Keep subtracting random, singular pieces (plants AND decor) and group like pieces together in small clumps.

Random things spotted here and there, or rows of things in a hedge or wall, do not contribute to a clean, clear look.

Such a nice house - however - a landscaper is needed with a plan.

If you really want a cleaner look I would remove the various wonky stone edgings and low walls if budget allows. If retaining walls are necessary they need to be less rustic and ramshackle.

Low growers.

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Update the entry.

I agree w shirlpp. You can hire a landscaper for advice without a full blown plan if money is an issue. I would get suggestions abt the grass, which looks like it doesn’t grow well under the tree canopy. I love the unstructured layout and woodland feel. Also, I think a 10-15’ ornamental tree would look good on the right side of the house for balance.

What direction is the house facing? If it is south I would put another tree or two in the front to create shade for the summer. (as Jeannie_sang suggested) Save those fallen leaves, maybe run over some leaf piles with lawn mower/bagger. Leaves create a wonderful mulch that effectively kills grass and prevents weeds! YAY

Nice house