Not sure if a new roof is in your budget but in that pic your shingles are looking like they are soon done. I'd re roof with shingles in a medium or light brown colour, not gray. Paint the shutters to coordinate with the brick around them. On my screen they look too dark brown for the brick that seems to have red tones. Agree with painting the front door too. What's up with the patchy grass? Is it the time of year where you are? (Haven't seen grass here for months!) I like the existing lights at the front door. I'd leave them. Id add some colour to your planting when the time is right. Also maybe some hostas or something? good luck! It's a nice house.

Do you know what kind of hydrangea or salvia you tried? There are hundreds of types of salvia, including at least one that likes shade, though it isn't appropriate here. There are also 4 main types of Hydrangeas and each has its own requirements. Hydrangea macrophylla cultivars, the most commonly sold type, really doesn't do well in zone 5, even though it gets sold here. But H. arborescens like 'Annabelle' and H. paniculata like 'Bobo' or 'Little Lime' are fully hardy and do well in zone 5. It sounds like you've tried a bunch of plants. What went wrong with the ones that didn't do well? Did they die or get smaller or just not get larger quickly? Have you gotten a soil test done for this area by the local cooperative extension service? That will give you info on soil texture, pH (which is really important to what will thrive) and any nutrients that are lacking. Often with new builds the soil has been both disturbed and compacted and that may need some remediation. Having good soil with lots of organic matter such as good quality compost turned into it will help virtually whatever you end up planting. You say it is shady, but it doesn't look like really deep shade. Does it get any sun? Are there any overhanging trees or is it only from buildings? How close are the buildings that create shade? What do you do to water the area? Can you add photos of the whole house front and include the edge of the neighbor's as well so that we have a better idea of where everything fits in and how it influences each other? This area needs to relate in some way to the bed on the other side of the walk way, so having a photo of what is there will help. I agree with Littlebug that your rocks are smaller than they should be for good ornamental value. Doug also drew larger rocks in his sketch, so consider either removing the rocks entirely or replacing them with ones that have some real substance. My memory is that in previous discussions that the general feeling was that this is an area that would be best planted mostly in lower plants since the porch and stonework of your home are so nice. I wouldn't plant anything to hide those beautiful stone pillar bases, or anything that grows higher than the base of the window. The exception would be a narrow shrub or vine such as clematis on a trellis near the corner of the garage. You may want to use a relatively limited number of types of plants since this is a small area. The Heuchera/coral bells are doing well, so have you considered adding some more of them? Do you have deer, rabbits or voles? That will also influence what may thrive here. Some plants to look at include one of the small Hydrangea arborescens, especially Invincibelle Mini Mauvette 'NCHA7' which shouldn't get taller than 3' Epimediums which come both as spreading plants and as groundcovers Hosta (if you don't have deer) Hakone grass AKA Japanese forest grass Mukdenia Pulmonaria Ligularia ferns, especially Japanese painted ferns Siberian iris meadow rue, which have relatively low foliage though having tall flowers for a while would be fine perennial geraniums Veronica 'Georgia Blue' as an evergreen groundcover Perhaps one of the smallest rhododendrons such as PJM Checkmate which stays around 3' tall. Having one other type of shrub to contrast with the boxwoods, some additional Heuchera, one or two other perennials, and an evergreen groundcover to help tie things together would be enough variety. Be sure to leave space around the boxwoods so their growth isn't slowed down by competition. You may start seeing a slightly faster growing rate for them this year since they should be established after 3-4 years.

thanks! kendallinsd I think those window changes to the bedrooms would make a big difference to the curb appeal. by the way, I am not against painting brick. if done right, it will be fine. however, yours is a nice muted reddish tone. I think what's not working is that there's too much contrast between the brick and siding, breaking up the shapes. the mockups houssaon and I did for you look better because it gives your house a more cohesive look. I also encourage keeping (or restoring) that pergola. again, it's part of the midcentury shape of that house that makes it special. but like I suggested before, a wood pillar might look better there. have fun. post pics as you improve this adorable home!

Thank you very much for taking the time to do this. Seeing it rendered this way helps a lot. I love the flowering trees and the trellis.