I'm downsizing from a luscious acreage with scores of azaleas, dogwoods, and other plants. :( My current home on the market has a beautiful taupe wood siding with plain brown brick and a kind of creamy golden trim. The plantings all look gorgeous with the house!

I'll be moving to a smaller new home with vinyl siding all around, except there will be brick on the front of the house. The roof will be dark greyish black and the trim will be white.

I'm wracking my brain trying to figure out if a brick I'm considering will look nice next to the pink crepe myrtles, white dogwoods, and azaleas I'll be planting.

I want to go with a middle-to-dark value taupe siding. If you know vinyl sidings, then this is usually called "clay." I've got to find a brick that works well with this and it seems next to impossible. Stone looks wonderful, but that option does not come with my house.

So....to coordinate with the taupe siding, the white trim, and the grey-black roof - I'm thinking of choosing one of the following. I need your opinion on which brick will look best with my flowering plants next to it and also which brick will also look best with the taupe siding.

Brick choices are:

1. A variegated sand-looking brick in a middle value. There is just a wee hint of terracotta, but the brick mostly has touches of cream. Some bricks sprinkled in have medium charcoal grey and dark grey.

2. A dark brown brick without much variegation at all.

3. A dark brown brick with reddish tones.

Which one do you think would look best as a backdrop to my plants? Would it look good next to the taupe siding too?

I'm thinking of just using black shutters.

I'm open to all suggestions and really appreciate ideas!