There are many zone 6 evergreens that should work for you. Dwarf conifers are the first place to start but there are lots of BLE's available as well. Only deciduous shrubs and grasses will leave an empty or just twiggy spot through much of the year and that does NOT enhance curb appeal!

I'd increase the depth of the planting beds as well. And make sure the plants share similar water needs........hydrangeas are thirsty shrubs.

I agree with @gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9) about increasing depth of planting bed - especially at the inset corner at walkway but I’d widen the bed in front too. A filled bed there would be lush & inviting. You could have hydrangeas that you want in the back closer to house with evergreens in front to prevent the fall & winter barren / emptiness. Maybe the roses didn’t do well & fight off the insects because they didn’t get enough sun since your house faces east - that’s morning sun. Visit your local nursery with pictures in hand for advice. Nice job on the new siding - looks great!

That's good information, thank you. I will definitely be ruling out hydrangeas!

I don’t think you need to rule out hydrangeas - there are many types & sizes. If you want flowers they’re great. White flowers would be lovely - ask how Bobo hydranges do in your area - they’re smaller & panicle type - easy care. Just fill the outer edges of planting bed with evergreens. Getting local advice on plant choice & layout would be well worth it - this is your front view & will add a lot to curb appeal.

You have had some disappointments with your plants. This time choose native plants for your area. For your foundation, I would suggest this one. It seems to check all the boxes for your yard.

Inkberry Holly (Ilex glabra): This is a spineless, native alternative to boxwood that naturally stays dense and upright. It adapts perfectly to morning sun and part-shade conditions while resisting deer. Compact cultivars like 'Shamrock' or 'Strongbox' stay around 2' to 3' tall, making them ideal for planting directly under low windows.

I am on Cape Cod and have had great luck with Cherry Laurels. They can grown to the sky, but you can trim them so they grow dense and look like a low hedge. In the spring, there produce white flowers and in the fall, red berries, stay green all year.

@KW PNW Z8I like the idea of the pinacle hydrangeas due to the size. They do seem to still require a lot of watering though. We may need to look into some other type of evergreens to help pull things together. Its just maddening that they always die along the backside.

Are you in the US or Canada zone 6 ? You could do a hosta garden so pretty , easy to care for and do well with just E sun. Your planting beds are too small BTW. I love hydrangeas but they do not flower all season but a hosta garden would be awesome and so easy to care for . There so many choices and the bonus they all have the same requirements .

I just walked down the hallway and looked out side. I forgot a great choice...skimmia.

Stays green, likes some sun, the female produces beautiful flower and then berries. You just need on male for fertilizing in the mix. I have mine on the front steps in vintage cement pots, but the gal up the street has hers at her foundation.

Japanese skimmia is a slow-growing, shade-loving, broadleaf evergreen shrub that provides multi-season interest in the landscape.

Mine get a few hours of sun late in the after noon and do very well.

The Inkberry Holly is an appealing option @HU-417221168 as boxwood blight has been a real problem in this area. I'll look into the Skimmia as well.

@Patricia Colwell Consulting I do love the idea of a hosta garden but not so sure about in the front yard especially with winter. You've just given me the perfect idea for a corner of our back yard that is tree covered!

I do agree with everyone that we need to expand the planting beds.

Your siding looks so nice!

Thank you @la_la Girl. It was hard work but a fun project and well worth it. Now to accentuate all that hard work with the perfect landscaping. :)

I like the brickwork and would not hide it. Grasses give nice movement in the breeze and add a contemporary touch. A purple leaf plum makes a nice lawn tree.

Boy what a difference a few plants can make @simplynatural and @tracefloyd! Thank you for those visualizations. Those help me out a ton. One thing I should mention is that inside corner does get a lot of shade. We have two large silver maples in our parkway which plays a role.

I love the look of a purple leaf plum but their leaves absorb a lot of water and are prone to splitting. We had one, and the older it got the more it drooped after a heavy rain. Finally gave way and split destroying the tree. Maybe other varieties that are less prone to doing that then mine was.

I haven't heard of that problem with the Purple Plum tree perhaps because we are in California and the climate is milder. What about a Crepe Myrtle instead?

Here I added some flagstone pavers to make accesss to the porch easier. The red flowers show off the nice brick.

Impatiens and Astilbe are shade tolerant. Use disease resistant Impatiens like Beacon.

Purple leaf plums are pretty much considered as throwaway trees in the trade. Cheap to produce, fast to grow, they are mass-marketed and beloved by property developers. Vulerable to a lot of pest and insect issues, it is also a very shortlived tree.

There are so many better choices.

Purple leaf Plum trees were over planted in my area. After a few years they have many water shoots which are very messy looking. Most unattractive. They need to be pruned heavily every year to maintain a pleasing shape. They do flower early which looks lovely but then come the spring rains which destroy the flowers & make a huge mess. So many other choices out there which offer year round beauty & are not a maintenance nightmare.

ETA: Crape Myrtles are lovely. You said this front yard gets a lot of shade. Crape Myrtles need lots of sun to bloom. There’s a reason they are a favorite tree in the southern hot states! There’s a saying ”right plant, right place” - visit your local nurseries to learn what those right plants are for your area.

We had a couple neighbors with purple leaf plums that did not do well at all. Definitely over planted as well as the Bradford pears in this area. We're thinking a smaller decorative tree might fit better.

Crepe Myrtles come in different sizes and need only 6 hours of sun.

Climate mildness has no bearing on the use of purple leaf plums. They are just a trashy, disease prone tree regardless of location. Crape myrtles are also very situational in their appropriateness. They do not do particularly well in a colder climate like zone 6.

There must be a dwarf or smaller lawn tree with red flowers or red leaves that would work with my theme.

Red leaf Japanese Maple:

Tracefloyd, my husband looked at that picture and the first thing he says is how much he likes the front door! :) Those Crepe Myrtle trees are beautiful, but they really are a struggle in our area of Zone 6. Thank you for all your ideas!!

There are crabapples with purple leaves and some have red flowers. There are also red flowered Hawthorns. No idea if these would grow well in your climate.

Btw purple leaved plums can work well in the right climate. They thrive in the British Isles.

Small trees: redbud, serviceberry, dogwood, Japanese maple to name a few. Large shrubs that could be pruned to a tree shape include heptacodium, viburnum, elderberry. Many, many choices if you think about it.