Your cabin looks great with easy ground access and a low profile. I agree with not planting in a line along the porch. Spread out and pull plantings away from the cabin. It will give you a nicer view from inside and when sitting on the porch. Design from the perspective of what YOU will see instead of the “curb appeal” approach. Lovely little cabin!!

some ideas using Monloo yew as the evergreen structure:

O.P. is moving in the right direction with foundation style planting involving more substantial (woody and evergreen) kinds of plants furnishing the base of the building all the way around, hiding the front of the deck. Existing plants being too sparse, low in height and light in weight to relate to and enhance the structure - spreading them out and pulling these (and additional plantings) away from the cabin would only make this worse, actually.

Oops! Yes, you do need a few more details. Sorry about that.

We are a Zone 6B/7A in Middle TN. The soil is great- dark, rich, well-draining, few rocks. We usually don’t have deer/ rabbit problems because the dog won’t let them in the yard. The garden is sun in the morning and shade around 2-4 in the afternoon. The left side gets a little less sun in the morning that the right side due to a large hill and trees beside it.

Embothrium, are you saying that you would have all of the plants in the back at least tall enough to reach deck level. Would you suggest all the same kind of evergreen or mix and match back there? Thank you for the advice! I’ll start looking into some pyramidal evergreens for the corners

You have a rustic cabin, pyramidal evergreens at the corners does not convey rustic.

Kaillean thank you so much for the tips and the sweet compliments!! I agree, one of my biggest concerns was blocking the view from the porch and windows. I will definitely keep that in mind!

Embothrium, are you saying...

It wouldn't have to be that simple, a variety would be preferable. And not with a taller backing right at the front of the deck, rather instead the same height from front to back at each point - I visualize a generally narrower bed, where much of the time it is only one shrub deep. And definitely at corners try to find something broad based, maybe like a yew. And not soldier-like, in the manner of the much sold and planted 'Smaragd' arborvitae - definitely I would not use anything formal- and tense-looking like that.

Also I wouldn't have the same kind of shrub at each corner, probably instead 4 different kinds.

pyramidal evergreens at the corners does not convey rustic

Poster asked about beefing things up with evergreen plantings. Even when a scheme consists mostly of herbaceous plants, as in a perennial border evergreen shrubs need to be included at suitable points like corners or the general effect will be vaporous and unanchored looking. Unless there is a solid fence, full height wall or clipped hedge behind. This is because herbaceous plants have little weight visually. And even when there is a solid backing of sufficient height that runs the entire length of the planting most arrangements benefit from if nothing else being in effect book-ended with evergreen shrubs at the corners or ends, so the planting doesn't just sort of fall away at the sides.

Wow! Dig Doug’s Designs that is amazing! It definitely seems to suit the whole “feel” of the cabin. Thanks for putting that together! I like the look of the taller plants at the corners and they still blind well with the rest of the garden. Really loving it!

The kids would be thrilled with the extra doggies too! Lol

Yes, when I was saying pyramidal evergreen at the corner I was picturing a layout slightly similar too this.... but maybe not something that gets quite THAT big. I do like the different colored evergreens right at window level.... and instead of the huge bush by the front steps maybe something like a red/burgundy Japanese maple like below

Would it be too much to add some herbaceous perennials in front of the evergreens?? I am struggling with a split desire:

1) To hide the empty space under the porch and have the gardens look decent year-round (which is why I originally was picturing evergreens)

2) Having flowers! I am a sucker for flowers for sure!

Maybe I could incorporate some white hydrangeas with the evergreens and some herbaceous perennials in the front? Too much?