Can you provide a straight-on view of the front of the house that encompasses the entire property?

From the angles shown, the trees are a bit overbearing -- are they all on your property? The archway and tree circle are puzzling; from the angle of the 2nd photo the archway appears to lead straight to a big tree trunk -- what are the intentions behind the placement of the arch and stones in circles?

The stones and pot at the end of the drive appear mismatched to the rest of the garden, an afterthought. Bring all hardscape elements into a single style for better harmony. This means making a decision about your style -- what is it, how would you define it?

With more information, replies can be more helpful.

Way overly fussy and regimented.

Greenfield, MA? We get folks from all over the world on these forums.

Are you someone who enjoys gardening and yard work? My suggestions are based on someone who isn't looking to spend a lot of time working to keep the yard tidy, but wants it to look attractive.

Right now the house looks barricaded by some of the landscaping elements. I would start by removing the shrubs (and concrete curbing) along the front of the house that block windows and crowd the walk. The shrubs look unhealthy as well as not complementing the architecture. The curbing is unattractive and makes the bed unrealistically small, making a good-looking planting impossible. The concrete-edged bed along the drive looks like a barrier between the driveway and the lawn; it's not ornamental and the gravel with the jar is a part of the barrier. Replace with grass or a widened walk along the driveway.

I would widen the walk from the driveway to the house so that two people can walk abreast or at the very least put in a large landing at the base of the steps that is the full width of the steps and top landing. Even if it's rarely used you want the front entry to look inviting rather than pinched.

I would remove all the concrete curbing, including the two around the trees. Any bed edging should be inset at ground level rather than an above ground landscape feature. Add a groundcover that is easy care and shade tolerant such as pachysandra under the trees if grass doesn't grow well.

If you want a front yard bench, place it somewhere not directly behind a tree trunk, and choose one without the top arch. If you want, move the one you have to a sunny spot in the back yard and grow vines up it (the intention of the trellis over it.) Currently it reads as an archway to nowhere and disrupts the view of the house front.

I would hire a qualified arborist to remove the down-hanging branches from the large limb in front of the house and assess the health of the trees you currently have. If it turns out tree work is needed, better to do it before rather than after landscape renovations. Your trees are a major feature, so be sure you find someone with training and qualifications, not just someone with a chainsaw and bucket truck.

That will clean up the house front and give you a less cluttered slate to work with. Once you have done all this, post another photo for suggestions. I would recommend a deep bed (8' minimum) of groundcover and shrubs across the front of the house with some seasonal color provided by some of the shrubs having blooms and/or by one kind of blooming perennial in a few spots such as near the stairs. Look for shrubs and groundcovers that are shade-tolerant and evergreen. Research the shrub size so you don't have to do a lot of pruning to keep them in check. The remainder of the front should be grass where there is enough sun and groundcovers where there isn't. Neatly edge the beds; do a web search for mowing strips and choose a style with only ground-level material. I wouldn't plant anything between the front door and the street (other than perhaps a low-growing bed of flowers around the lamp post) since you want the front walk to be clearly visible.

PS - I know you didn't ask about the house itself, but I would paint the garage doors so that they match the rest of the house trim (photo makes them look whiter than the cream of the shutters and trim) and if it's in the budget, replace them with ones that fit the home's architecture a bit better. Darker trim, shutters and garage doors (perhaps taking the color from one of the brick shades) would look better to my eye.

Everything Miss NHBabs said and more. I confess that I don't think ANYthing, save the grass and large trees (which need work as pointed out), is acting as a positive element for the house. That is definitely NOT a way to use an arbor in front of a house. It must find another location. For the future, you'll need to create a landscape scheme that is a cohesive, unified scene. Right now it seems more huge "decorations" have been added (all of the areas surrounding by blocks), but that they are not part of their surroundings.