The asphalt siding does have a very faint brink red as well as a green. Since our roof and gutters are green I'd rather not do green. Could you please explain more about the additional color in the window framing detail? Where would it be exactly? Do you think a brick red for the trim around the windows and perhaps the ironwork and then a different color for the door? I did google images of asphalt siding but I didn't find anything original or in good repair. Everything was about getting rid of it. Thanks for the input!

Some further details would help everyone give you good advice: Please indicate North, so we know what kind of sunlight the front receives. What kind of soil and drainage (sandy or clay, well-drained or do some areas puddle)? Are there deer in the neighborhood? What kind of "look" would you like and how much time and effort are you willing to put into regular maintenance. If you can hold off until the big tree has been removed (poor thing, someone didn't think long term), a photo taken straight-on for a full-face view of your home and front yard would be very helpful, and in the long run you may be glad you waited to get and post that information. In the meantime, you could take note of homes/yards in your area that are to your liking and what features you like about them. The trees in the back provide a nice backdrop for your home, helping to make it look more settled in rather than perched upon the site, now you just need to work out a plan to wrap that around to embrace the front. I'm partial to plants native to our region, as they are generally very well-suited to our environmental conditions, therefore requiring less input/maintenance on your part, and they support our songbirds, butterflies and other beneficial insects ... But there are lots of opinions and options out there. What a wonderful opportunity you have before you ... Don't rush it ... Enjoy!

I like your house colors enough that I wouldn't paint unless the finish is deteriorated enough that painting is necessary. When painting comes, I'd darken the body color a couple of degrees so as to have more contrast with the white trim. I might explore ways of incorporating more white trim, too. As far as plants, I'm not making recommendations of specific plants or colors to use, but am suggesting general layout, shapes & forms, approximate sizes, etc. Where you live, maybe there's a dozen different plants you could use around the tree. It would be up to you to find the one out of that group that has the most appeal and that would grow well in that spot. You could research ground covers & perennials on your own, or you could post the drawing in that, or your regional forum, and see if anyone has suggestions for something that could work. And then you could research those suggestions to see if it's what appeals to you. (For the drawing, I used the plant that you already have growing there for inspiration, trying to draw more of it. I don't know what it is, but it looks to be doing well. If it's good to you, you just need about a hundred times as much as what's there now.)

@decoenthusiaste has some great ideas....timber frame entrance and a contrasting paint around the windows. (The black or brown trim suggestions are great, as well. ) The front door should also be updated and could be the same shade as the trim (brown trim, brown door). I also think a pergola detail over the garage doors (to match the timber frame portico over the front door) would tie together that side of the house. I wouldn’t landscape until you’ve done some exterior projects done since it will get trampled on.