Nice house with potential. It's been added onto at least once, looks like twice. Are the kitchen and bath in the newest parts? Second the idea of retaining the trees for awhile, thinking you may keep them, because they 'are' period authentic. I live in an 1820s federal and there was also a very tall one directly in front of our bedroom window, past the second story. In it sat mockingbirds the first night I slept in this house. Since this house has been around so long, all the other oldsters in our rural area have memories about it, and many have shared, including pictures. There in one picture of a Civil war soldier about to leave for battle, was the tree. And several others still standing on our property. It finally came down in a storm a couple years ago, and I felt like a piece of history went with it.

The areas under your eaves are going to be dry and shady, not very good conditions for plants to do well and thrive. Whatever you choose, move it away from the house and eaves. I added a "water feature" to my last house's landscape, and I will warn you that the darn things need constant upkeep because algae grows in them, so when choosing a fountain, keep it simple for ease of cleaning (a lot). We loved our fountain but it was designed to be filled with beach stones to show them off, but not a good idea as they just provided more and more surfaces for algae to grow on. Think of your little triangle shaped bed as a pyramid. Largest things at the top/tip/back and then a row of medium sized things and then the low things at the bottom. Like a cheerleader pyramid. What you have now looks more like a marching bad formation! Usually in an entranceway landscape, unless you have specific ideas, there is a mix of evergreen and deciduous things, and contrasting colors and textures. Also flowering shrubs. Don't pay attention to how the plants look in their pots, read the labels and take into account how big the plants are going to get as they mature. Plant them with the mature size in mind, not their size in the pots at the store. That said, you can arrange the different pots together as you shop and get an eye for what looks good. Shop around at several garden centers, they usually have sample landscapes on display. Also peruse landscaping magazines or get some cool books from the library or even look on Houzz photo site or other Internet sites. It helps to have a set of inspiration photos to give you ideas of what plant combinations you like. Make sure you select a combination that does well in the light and soil conditions around your house, i.e. no shade plants in the sun and vice versa.

what kind of ideas? and what kind of budget? looks like your upper windows need replacing. is that on the list of 'to do' items? landscape designer would go a long way in updating the yard. The front needs proper grading, and planting. and the driveway could use some help. Again, don't know your budget, but those are the things I'd concentrate on first. you can always stain or paint the shakes, but without the yard redo, it's not going to make much of an impact.

Well fiddlesticks! Another post lost due to GW/Houzz buggy code? I will type it in again without adding a photo to begin with. I think you need to hold off on the insulating until it gets cold. Insulating now seems like it would keep the sap up and the leaves on. I'd wait until they drop and are ready for winter. Maybe have your cage in place to add leaves/burlap or whatever. The folks in your zone can offer better advice. I don't have that problem in Atlanta. The problem we have are hot, dry summers. It's always going to be hot but a drought is every few years and we had it late this summer and it was brutal. Last year we had a lot of rain - almost 80 inches for the year and may have broken a record. Gee whiz, what is wrong with GW and photos? I tried adding one photo a minute ago and nothing. Yay, here is one more