Ah, nice suggestions, Alexander! The shrub in the curved bed is a red leaf Japanese maple that is pretty slow growing. That boxwood hedge is going to go away, to be sure... although I like boxwood, that hedge is part of the reason that the front door is not obvious; hence, the idea to open it up, and put in a small court yard. Also, in the "hell strips" are Norwegian Maples which are likely to give the sidewalk a lift, in a negative way, as they get older... we may need to replant those in the future.

That side yard in front of the fence may house some raised beds veneered with the same rock that is on the face of the house. It has the best southern and western sun exposure for growing vegetables... I'm thinking of a beautiful victory garden with decorative trellis' for cucumbers, peas, beans, etc.
I like your idea of a hedge along the perimeter. We've also entertained a wrought iron fence with cedar posts. The home looks like there should be some timbers included in the entry... what do you think?

So I would like to mention that the request for neat and tidy but less trimming is actually non-congruent..mostly. There are some shrubs like the one below that grow in a sphere and supposedly grows in zone 8 which you are in but other than that you may need to go with lower growing ground cover.

Also I've not seen any landscape pro from Oregon checking these boards. You might want to look under the Find A Pro button and see which landscaper you are interested in.

Actually, I am more than happy to trim several times a year... my previous home of 26 years had an English garden that needed attention every week... and sometimes multiple times a week. Thank you Red Berm for the suggestion to find a pro in Oregon. Also, what is the shrub that you posted the photo of... might be a thought!

Hi. I would love to see a photo more straight on so i can see your front walk. I would probably remove some of that hedge to connect your walkway with some 2x2 poured in place concrete pavers with some gravel for a seating area. msybe connecting with the side gate and creating a planter in front of your window. I would like to see

Some trees. That maple may be the dwarf variety. I would go buy a larger specimen and idlove to see foilage colors with ogon grass and some orange carex.

Oh, i see someone else attached ogon. Great minds...

Bloom Garden Design, this photo was taken during the painting process, but it does give you the front presentation that you asked for...

I will comment tomorrow when I have access to my computer.

Hello, fellow PDXer! Good news is we live in a great place for landscapers and plant choices. And not too many people care if you grow corn in the front yard.

I can see doing a front stone area, in a non-symmetrical curved form that takes into account the curve of your corner lot. You could connect that patio via a walkway by the side of the house to terraced beds. I think I might edge the beds with boxwood, do a signature evergreen or two somewhere in the beds (not lined up together) and plant your garden within that structure. That would give you something green there in winter. By the patio/front, I'd do daphne. Love smelling that in February/March as I go up to the front door.

I've seen some great veggie front yard gardens doing a mix of permanents, and edibles with annuals. For example, say, if you didn't do a short boxwood edge, they've done lettuce as edging, with nasturtiums interspersed as a border.

Somehow it feels like the fence is too far forward...could the gate line move back to the other corner at the rear of the house?

As another thought, my friends with these kinds of gardens have a pretty basket near the sidewalk for neighbors to help themselves to extra harvest.

Rather than have the sunken area at the corner with the Japanese maple, I might build that up higher than the lawn, make it less symmetrical, relocate the maple so it is not EXACTLY at the curve, and create a bed of dwarf evergreens near it, with a few spots for perennials/annuals. I have Black Eyed Susans in front of my red Japanese maple and they are dynamite together come late summer/fall.

Completely forgot a couple of other favorite plants. Spring Blossom Spirea. Yuletide Camellia (simple red blossoms...at Christmas!).

NWduck, here's a great example of what I want to build on the side yard for our vegetable garden.

Fun! I do think if you did it with stone beds, or even white like the fence panels with ball finials at the corners, it would fit in more with your house. I was thinking an espalier apple tree would be sort of cool on the fence by the gate. As far as landscapers go, I have used Landscape East and West for a couple of things...but mine were dealing with irrigation and a stone patio with "issues". Really liked all the people, the pricing and they are very responsive. They have a gallery of gardens on their website designed by them, and designed by others, installed by them.

Looks like you've got some great ideas up above. I would definately hire a designer in your area so that the walkway and the raised beds are done in a way that looks professional and not haphazard. There are some other materials that tend towards more modern, like corten steel for veggie beds that you may want to look at. Sunset magazine has done some great articles regarding front yard gardens. Pinterest is also a good way to get some great ideas to see what you want, but I recommend hiring someone to plan out your yard. One thing to make sure of adding......larger trees to soften the house. Good luck!

Bloom Garden Design... thank you very much for your suggestions! We are interviewing designers over the next couple of weeks, and have found some of the larger landscapers in the Portland area, but I also appreciate the talents of smaller businesses, and was hoping to find some here on Houzz. Sometimes communication is more direct with smaller companies than with larger ones. I'm happy to hear the pros and cons of large landscaping companies as well as the small ones, if anyone is willing to share.

If you go on my website under services, I have a why hire a designer under services. In your case, I would hire a designer or a design build. I would not hire a contractor that is using your ideas. This would work on a more straighfoward project like a simple walkway, but I think raised beds in the front calls for someone who has great space planning.

For greater emphasis on the entryway, incorporate landscape lighting to guide visitors to your front door. High quality, professionally installed LED lights last a very long time with little to no maintenance.

You could hire a landscape designer if you're not quite sure as to specifics with your ideas...but I think a courtyard, some pavers with raised planter boxes is a great idea and beautiful. Gives a little privacy and can be amazing upgrades to your curb appeal. You could incorporate seating into the courtyard, water feature...etc. If you haven't found a landscaper yet, definitely peruse on Houzz...it's a great spot to find great contractors locally. You've got great potential with your yard...have fun with your project!

How did everything come out? It would be nice to have an update. :-)