First take a breath. Every job looks overwhelming if you look at it all together. Stop making it a "job" and make it fun. Second, take a break. Take a cup of coffee, a chair and a notebook and go sit at the edge of the property you intend to renovate. Sit and listen to the birds, look at the parts of the property you like and then look at other parts. What do you want to keep, what do you want to change. Determine what you want seen from a distance- you probably want larger plants there. What will be seen close up- that is where you want smaller plants. I am just beginning and did a lot of my planning this past summer by just sitting in different parts of the yard and looking around and visualizing. Make notes on your thoughts and plans. Now that you are visulizing, it is time to think of problems. You would like a red house but it isn't practical right now- so how about red flowers, shrubs and furniture to give you that red you are craving? Deer are a problem- check into plants that deer don't like (yes there are some.) What style are you wanting- cottage style is the type you seem to be describing and would look good with the home style. Country look, look around for old tools that you can incorporate in the garden. In the country garden, simple and practical is better. Or do a combination of the two. The concrete in the yard- do you like it? If yes, then leave it. If no then think of masking it- add stone around it, or plant around it to screen it with the plants. Maybe utilize it in a different way- like making it a rock garden or using it to showcase special artwork or plants. How about putting a smaller "wishing well" in the center, planting flowers around it, then planting more flowers around the concret wall for a terraced look? Do fieldtrips. Make trips to several local nurseries just to walk through. What plants do you like? Where do you see them on your property? Check out the plants needs and make sure they will have their needs met in the area you are visualizing. As you go places, look at other homes and if you see something you like, make a note. Then think how you can work it into your own plan. On a budget, you (or at least I can't) buy every plant I like. So on your trips to the nurseries- check out the seed racks. Check out the garden junk forum for things you can make and add to your property with less expense. Use what you find on the property- properties like that often have old tools, bottles and things either left or found buried. Start small. Now that you are visulizing what you want, divide your property into areas, and work on one or two areas at a time. For instance, while you are working on the shed, you may want to start planting around the house. When those are done, pick out two more areas to do. As you are working on areas you will find yourself thinking about the other areas and coming up with even more ideas. Be flexible. Some ideas may not work or some plants just won't do well in certain areas. So you find a similiar plant or work on a different idea. As you are working and coming up with new ideas anyway, you will find that your plans change. And keep in mind, a garden is an ongoing process, not a stationary thing. If you have the financial resources to get a landscape designer to do all the work for you, that is great. You get quicker results and a more professional look. But if you don't have the resources for professionals there is the consolation that what you get is what you yourself have visualized. Much more personal and satisfying.

zipdee: I'm late to this thread, but love what you've done so far--the steps, the original door, etc. I also have a Northern Exposure and heavy shade tree in front and had some similar problems. We relandscaped last fall after our remodel and I'm really happy how it turned out and get lots of compliments from our neighbors. I drew everything out on graph paper ahead of time to better visualize how it would all look together taking into consideration walkways, planter beds, drainage and lighting--plants were last. Some things we did which you might want to consider were to curve the walkway and extend it to the side of the house where we added a gate and bike shed to store the kids' bikes (noticed you had several on your side porch) and also curve and widen the front planter beds. I was really nervous about the wider beds at first in case they did not look good, but I find it allows for tiered plantings and also brings the front part of the beds into more sun so I have more planting options. I also tried for advice on the landscaping forum and concur what has already been said above. What we ended up doing was working with the owner of a nursery and she was very helpful with plant selection and even made a home visit to help with placement. I find that using proper soil ammendments, plant food and Vitamin B1 directly after planting make a huge difference. I learned so much from her, just watching her work and now I feel more confident to do my own selection and placement. I just finished my spring overhaul (taking out what didn't survive the winter and filling in the blank spots). What I've learned is that good gardens (like good decor) do not happen overnight--it's an evolutionary process so don't be afraid to experiment and that is how you will find what plants look good and grown well in your space. Hardscape, drainage, lighting, etc. are more expensive and permanent, though, so it pays to think carefully what your needs are. I do think azaleas with a good acidic soil ammendment are pretty fool proof, though. Her fee was something like $200 and money well spent, though the landscaping forum will make you think you need a landscape architect or you'll mess up. Some of the plants that do well in our shady area are: azaleas, camellias, mother fern, Japanese maple, violas (spring/summer), cyclamens (winter) and purple palace; though your best bet is to go around your neighborhood and see what plants work well in your neighbors' yards since climate varies. I also used a bit of strategically placed ornamental stone. It looks like you are off to a very good start.

I like the shutters. Id get a new door either black or a bright color with matching colored large pots or urns with TOPIARIES flanking the entry. Also, add a small hedge "Minimalist Landscaping. On par with stripped-down details in Colonial homes, landscapes lack conspicuous ornamentation. Many rely on geometric combinations of shrubs and trees as a restrained softscape accent." Source: https://www.bhg.com/home-improvement/exteriors/curb-appeal/colonial-style-home-ideas/

A dark color will be a good choice. It's modern and will make the different siding finishes less obvious. Hale Navy is a favorite navy blue and I think it would look great with your brick. Make the front door color something that relates directly to the brick. (the garage door should be the body color.) The wide trims and the mullions are steering very clear of a 70s design, so just go with what you like and lean into more modern options when you can.