That is really not a very big area. Get the climbing hydrangea planted and don't rush to cram a bunch of stuff into the rest of the space. The hydrangea will establish itself soon enough -- don't complicate and clutter the matter or waste money on adding clematis (which also take a few years to really get going) to the picture in the meantime. The hydrangea is a big, imposing dramatic plant -- or at least it will be in the next couple of growing seasons -- so don't over-cram those relatively small planting areas in the meantime. Rather than think about flower colors in those two spots (IMO you have room for 2 more plants there and that's it), think about varying foliage texture and color rather than just thinking about white blooming plants. Maybe an ornamental grass? Whatever you select (I'm sure there are many options), keep that texture contrast in mind. Also keep whatever you plant the same on either side of the chimney. Skip the spiller. There isn't enough room and it will clutter up the works. I think you will have best results if you force yourself to be patient (certainly that's better for the plant development) and, as you've already indicated, disciplined about plant choice.

Conifers, conifers, conifers. I have been struggling with a bed just like this for over a decade, and conifers are the final solution. Every deciduous shrub, vine, or perennial I have tried to grow reaches away from the wall (which in my case is a fence) toward the sun - and the darn bed IS in full sun after lunch - so that summer is like constant clipping or the walkway becomes impassable. If you don't get all the narrowest, slowest growing conifers, you will still have to do some clipping, but it won't be every second day. So if I were you I would research dwarf conifers - Adrian Bloom's book Gardening with Conifers is a good start, and maybe read the Conifers forum here on GW. Some tall narrow varieties include Thuja 'Degroot's Spire', Chamaecyparis Wissel's Saguaro, and the inimitable italian cypress. Augmented with shorter pines like Pinus strobus Nana and other arching, spreading, and round shapes of conifer, (hardy for you of course) or heathers if you like them, you can have it nice and easy care. It can be punched up with annuals for the summer, or a few perennials intersprersed as well.

Scott, I can't understand why after all this time you automatically suggest Surround AND bagging for the northeast. As I've explained here many times, and you apparently can't believe, in the northeast if you protect the trees for the 3 or 4 weeks following petal fall of latest blooming apples it is quite likely that bagging or subsequent sprays will be unnecessary. The orchards I manage cover a fairly wide swath of territory and direct fruit pest insects haven't been an issue for me after the above mentioned time in my part of the northeast. I think it a reasonable assumption that as you go further north there will be less pressure rather than more. Apple fly maggot is the only big question mark, in my opinion, as to whether further protection will be necessary. That and indirect pests like JB's which can't be bagged out. The one exception I've had in my own orchard and not the ones I manage is later plum curculio damage on Euro plums, but out of all the trees I manage I consider this an aberration. She, on pest issues, you should know that the closer the advice comes from your region the more likely the relevancy. I manage orchards from coastal Greenwich up to Canaan CT and from Kingston down to Ossining NY and areas in between.

define with specificity what you mean by close ... is your house modern or some old farmhouse ... roots are not an issue with the former ... but can be with the latter ,... when you want to picture a potential problem.. just google up the most precise name you can find.. and look at the images page .. as below .. looks like the white standard can get rather large ... i did not hit the button for the dwarfs ken https://www.google.com/search?q=Japanese+Lilac+Tree&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=7HdPVe7UEcqjsAWRsYGACQ&ved=0CAgQ_AUoAg&biw=815&bih=745&dpr=0.9