Thanks for all the suggestions guys!! Keep 'em coming!! Winter interest is definitely important, but unfortunately, with the way the house and the sidewalk are, there isn't room for both shrubs and perennials in the foundation gardens. I did leave the cone shaped yews on the ends of each garden as well as some other evergreen shrubs that are next to the sidewalk leading to the breezeway. I've already pulled out the remaing boxy yews though. I considered planting a few evergreen shrubs like heather or holly or something else with the foundation plantings, but decided against it. The area is really too small for most shrubs and I felt I would prefer perennials there for spring, summer and fall. During the winter, we get so much snow that pretty much whatever is there is buried anyhow. I planted a few Rhododendrons in the bump outs. I do like the idea of adding a few more. Karinl brings up an excellent point that my house is so large as is my lot, that it dwarfs most of what I plant. I'm hesitant to put any large or even mid sized conifers only because I am concerned it will block out the light we get in the house. I had orignially planned to make the gardens in front larger with mass plantings to help but decided that might be a bit overwhelming to do all at once. I think what I plan to do now, instead, is in later years, add some more large island beds in the front. And yes, Karinl, perennials are a MUST! I love flowers!! As you can probably tell, I also love trees so we are adding lots and lots of those as well. Saypoint, thanks for your comment about the colors running together! I didn't think of that. I guess it may not be that important then that the shutters are a different color. And I am certainly doing large flower gardens in the back too! Thanks again for all your suggestions! I'd love to hear some more! Tara Here is a link that might be useful: Photo Album with additional updated photos of the current progress

It looks like your neighbor owns the fence, correct? I'd choose plants that won't do any damage to the fence (no poking through with limbs that could get fat & stress the pickets, nothing that drops berries that could stain it). Do they power-wash the fence? If so, leave a buffer of empty space between your shrubs and their fence so you can hopefully put up plastic to deflect the high velocity soapy water. I'm just thinking the worst because your neighbor sounds difficult to deal with. A friend had a berm & many shrubs planted to give her yard some privacy, it was exposed on 2 sides. I can't advise you on what conifers will do well in your zone, but I can tell you what has worked (and not worked) in her landscape now 8 years later ... Planting white pines gave her near-instant privacy, but is now crowding everything else. I think they were put in to be a temporary measure but she loves the way they block visibility in the winter so she's torn about getting rid of them. Planting several different kinds of a single plant worked well. She has a ton of lilacs which extends the bloom time. Planting bushy perennials at the feet of those lilacs works well to hide their less-attractive leggy bits. But she finds the perennials & lilacs compete for water in the summer so she put in a soaker hose. She has some purple-foliaged shrub/trees like a purple sand cherry - that adds some nice contrast when nothing is in flower. Purple is the only colored foliage she went with, so the effect is calm. She had one big shrub with leaves with white margins. It always looked sickly from a distance, even though it wasn't. Since you'll be seeing this area from a distance you probably want to stand WAY back from variegated foliage to figure out if you have the same thoughts about those plants. She wanted something for the local wildlife to snack on, so she added rosa rugosa for their rose hips. They are pretty and they tolerate the sand/salt from the road nearby - but they aren't so pretty in winter. It's a love/hate relationship. Is there a wealthy neighborhood or town nearby that you can drive through? That's my fall back position when I know I want to do something but I'm not sure what will look good. I go look at what combinations look good in other people's yards! Good luck with the planting and with the neighbor.

Personally, I would move those junipers and incorporate them into the border. They are going to eventually get way too wide and take up too much of your lawn. If you are trying to create an entryway feel into that area then consider an arbor with some bushes planted on either side of it that connect to the fence bed and a planting bed along the house respectively. I would create a curve to the bed line that is no narrower than 3 feet at the absolute smallest part but I would make it much wider at the ends (front bed incorporating that tree and in the back I would make a larger bed in the corner. Play with the garden hose and lay it on the grass to get some ideas. (think serpentine) I would plant a tree in the back corner, I think you have more room then you realize. Keep lower limbs trimmed up as your tree grows so you get a nice canopy but can still move under it. I think a redbud or flowering cherry/plum would all work size wise. I would also plant a small tree off the corner of the patio, but you didn't ask about that. What is the tree up front near the fence? I also agree with dibbit about not doing the hedge row of all the same. A mixed shrub border would be nice and could give you color all year. Depending on size I would do either 1 or 3 of each as I like odd numbers. If you do three I would do them in a triangle formation rather than a row plastered against the fence. Here are some suggestions-- Knock out roses, My favorite is still the original one. Forsythia (these get rather big so only do one unless you are getting a dwarf variety, and plant it where you can let it get about 10' wide as these look best when allowed to weep) In spring my huge ball of sunshine is a beacon of spring, but then it becomes a huge green bush the rest of the summer so plant some pretty perennials in front of it. (homestead purple verbena is nice) Wiegelia (there are variegated varieties as well as dark leaved choices all with beautiful blooms) Viburnum, This is a subject onto itself, research your favorite varieties on this forum some are evergreen, but most are not. The flowers vary greatly as do berries etc. Perhaps a Little Gem Magnolia in the back corner? Indian Hawthorne is an old stand by, it is ever green and can look nice, but will never get as tall as your fence. Why not plant something to grow on the fence or on a trellis against the fence such as a clematis or Amethyst Falls Wisteria, then plant some smaller evergreens in front of it such as Helleri Holly or the Indian Hawthorne? Japanese Cleyera is another evergreen possibility August Beauty Gardenias, or some of the smaller varieties such as 'radicans' would be nice in front of whatever tree you choose to plant. If part of the border will not get too much afternoon sun then I would definitely include some Hydrangeas, some repeat bloomers such as Endless Summer or Penny Mac would be show stoppers. And what southern order would be complete without some azaleas? Again avoid afternoon sun. There are so many choices but I would work on a bed line first and start preparing the site while you decide. Look up Lasagna gardening and start prepping the site with newspaper and soil amendments so you don't have to dig up all that sod. You can spray it with round up first if you want, but it is not necessary if you put down newspaper thick enough under your amendments. the amazing thing I find is that people are often afraid to plant to much as they think it will make their yard look smaller, but it will actually do the opposite, so unless you need a certain amount of grass to have enough room for the kids playing football or something, I would take out quite a bit of that lawn. Here is a link that may be helpful. Have fun! Post pictures of whatever you choose to do. Here is a link that might be useful: creating a shrub border

I also have seen reports that 'Smaragd' Emerald Green do not go brown in the winter. There are some other arborvitae cultivars which are reported to brown in the winter. That person may have gotten the Emerald greens confused with those cultivars. It, also, could be that in your area the Smaragds get so stressed in the winter that they do turn brown. I have a screen of thuja 'Green Giants' which all winter stay a nice color for me situated on the north side of our neighbor's two story house. But my friend has a 3 foot high row of the same cultivar of my trees planted along the south side of her 7 foot tall privacy fence. Her trees while they were trying to get established did change color last year. Not exactly brown, but more of a burgundy shade. They greened back up the following spring and summer, and we are still waiting to see if hers will stay green over the coming winter.