KY2011, a plan will not be useful to you in creating a landscape design unless it is accurately drawn--with the distances being measured--and your's is not. One 16' distance is shown at more than 3 times the length of an 8' distance and many other measurements are obviously not proportionately correct. You'll can print out a scale that will allow you to measure the distances. (Link below. Use the inch-decimal--sixth one down--to create a plan that is 1" = 10". That will probably work the best. Be sure to disable "shrink to fit" when you print.) The measured plan allows one to fit in objects that are also measured ... to make sure that there is room for everything and that one has placed enough objects (plants) in the plan. It allows one to see that the distances between objects are properly proportioned, for best use of the space being created. This brings up another point that plants shown in your plan are not well or realistically arranged. Some are too close to the house, but too far from one another in the rows. The "bump-out" portion of the building is not shown, so plants march across the front of the house as if it weren't there. This will not work in real life. The Japanese maple could not be placed as you have it. That's a space sized for a Hosta. (The 6' - 8' ht. you've marked is at one stage of its life, but is not its end height.) A nice landscape uses plants to solve problems and create a positive image. It's not just placing one's favorite decorations (plants) wherever they can be squeezed in around the yard. There's no reason a homeowner can't do their own landscape design, if they're willing to use the methods professionals use and also learn a lot about plants. I suggest that you draw an accurate plan and re-post (without plants shown.) Then you could probably get suggestions for better plant placement. You should also be thinking about what architectural shortcomings need enhancing by plants. The size of the house has been mentioned. You've also mentioned the "concrete at the porch," but it's far enough away that it doesn't look any different than the siding, and and I don't get the impression you're anxious to hide that. While its finish at close range might not be the greatest, couldn't some paint take care of it?. Why not start with that and see if you detest it as much? One person mentioned hiding the bottom of the stone facade. (A vine on a custom trellis or a clipped hedge could take care of it with the least bulk.) What about hiding the bottom of the "bump-out." With no architectural devices appearing to support it (same as stone facade) it looks like it defies the laws of nature and so would be better hidden. Street trees help frame the house (as well as provide a protective ceiling at the street) so why not pick ones that can be more readily limbed up in order to create the view below? If you don't do the things that need be done, you'll end up with the typical "builder's landscape" ... something to rip out just as soon as, or shortly after it becomes grown. Here is a link that might be useful: Decimal inch ruler

That is a great starting list of plants for the area. Only comment is that flame acanthus wants to get substantially larger than the rest. Ours gets to about 5ft tall in a single season and often doesn't die back much, so could become much larger if we let it. More periodic pruning might keep it looking good at a shorter stature. Agree with Pkponder about white. Two to consider fitting in somewhere for their exceptionally long bloom runs are blackfoot daisy and white flowered gaura cultivars like 'Snow Fountain'. I have no eye for advising on color selections, but a few others I especially like for their long or repeating blooms are: Four-nerve daisy, summer phlox (especially Texas proven 'John Fanick' and 'Victoria'), and autumn sage - which has generic plants and named cultivars in a wide variety of colors. Maybe some of these will fit with your final collection. I second everything on Georgia's list, too. Though Mexican heather is often tagged as an annual in Dallas, so might belong on the tender list for your location. Ours in an exposed site died and another in a sheltered spot is coming back from this year's freeze.

This is not a list of plants, but is an organizational layout, involving a reshaping of the bed so as encompass the tree out of the lawn and lead the viewer to the front entrance. The colors serve to differentiate one type of material from the next; they're not suggestions for what colors you should use. That's up to you according to what is available. Eventually, you'll be forced to limb up the tree in order to avoid having it consume the porch. Not insignificant is the undersized landing, narrow steps and lack of cheeckwall, that allows either dirt to be spilled on the steps or that plant material cannot be maintained next to them .... basically a permanent "scab" next to the steps. Widen them and add a cheekwall to solve the problem and make for a nicer entrance experience. I would not enclose the steps or walk with planting. They would only serve to obscure the entrance more. While mentioning the entrance, I will say that the porch post next to the garage seems completely unnecessary and serves to create a narrow passageway ... which is not as good as a wider one. I'd remove it. Also, consider getting beefier posts to replace the remaining ones with.

cute house. is this a townhome or something? Do you have to get approval from the other person if it is? what about the large shrub near the sidewalk? is that gone too? similar to yours. a really simple bed redo. or even this one. but you're going to need some type of edging or border for the beds to keep them neat and clean. And some type of weekwhacker/edger! However,,,, What about the parkway? I see a tree and lawn. will that be addressed? I ask because merely redoing a flower bed isn't going to work if the surrounding lawn/shrubs aren't also addressed. it's a small front yard. I think if you redid the sod, had clearly defined edging of the beds, and did something like this, it would really alter the loo of your home. you could do something like this. maybe build up a berm of some sort since it's NE, maybe some low growing evergreens or some type of smaller tree (you could pot it) surrounded w/some hardscape? boulders/rocks and mulch? since you have the height, what if you did some raised flower beds like you see against this green house? This one also has a raised flower bed done w/brick. not too high. do you like something like that? notice how the edging of the other flower beds are all done in the same brick. makes for a neat, cohesive look. your hydrangeas are really pretty. what if you just continued those? again, the lawn is clearly edged against the flower beds. gorgeous hydrangeas and shade-loving greenery. and a nice, clean lawn.