In the area to the left of the entry wall you want only low plants so the entry feels open and welcoming. With a shrub there it might not feel too safe unless it’s a low shrub. In the area in front of the entry wall keep plants no higher than the wall for the same reason. I would also put a low shrub or a short wall just around the corner to the left of the white sided portion of the building to hide the utilities there. It looks like this is a shady area with a lot of large leafy trees, so be sure to choose plants that are suited for the light levels.

For the long term, consider whether the wall there makes the best entry or whether removing it and building a front facing portico sided to match the left part of the building might work better.

Thank you so much for your thoughts. I love the idea of adding a shrub to hide the utilities to the side of the house. The height suggestions make so much sense. Do you have any recommendations on whether pennorni should keep the same shrubs along the entirety of the bed? For example, should I keep the plants all smaller so they match or should I get a larger plant to go underneath the window since there is technically more space?

I'm not sure how I typed the word "pennorni" :). It should read "I"

Oh my goodness!!! A picture is worth a thousand words!! Thank you both so much!!

This is such an interesting idea. I like that a lot too. Thank you!

Miz_G, what type of tree did you put the side of the house? I talked with someone about a yew tree but I was wondering what this was. Will it stay small?

kalyhope, I think yew does get huge, but I’m not very familiar with them, so maybe there are smaller varieties. My visual example was meant to represent a juniper or arborvitae. I should have said that, sorry! Definitely check with your local nurseries for what would work best there. :)

Thanks again!

I’m not sure if anyone will see this question, but I’m back at this flower bed. I messed up last year. As I start over, would y’all build up the right side and frame the flower bed with rocks so that the bed is even and not slanted?

I would lower one side and raise the other rather than raising the low side to make whole thing higher. And I wouldn’t use round rock. Get bricks or patio block or cobblestones or something else square, and bury them at least part way to create an edging that won’t shift and that won’t have gaps.