OK. Do a search of this forum for "blank Slate", "foundation plantings", "front yard", "curb appeal", and "how to start". You definitely need some landscaping. What kind depends on a lot of things, and more information is needed. What zone are you in? Which direction does your house face? Do you have any knowledge of plants and gardening? What do you want the front landscaping to do for you besides look nice? Are the walks and parking areas sufficient, convenient, and/or attractive or do you need to re-think your hardscaping? Do you need shade in the front of the house? Do you plan on planting any perennials, or are you looking for shrubs and trees only? Will you use the front yard for anything besides coming and going and looking at? Read through other people's front yard questions to get a feel for what you need to consider, find out what you need to learn in order to do it yourself and do a decent job, or determine that you need to hire a professional to help you create an appropriate landscape design and/or install it. You may get some suggestions here on what might look good, but unless you plan on learning enough to be able to sort through those suggestions and keep just the ones that work for you and can be accomodated in the same design, you may just end up very confused.

Schris- MI zone 5? Me too. I can see a rose of sharon bush between the bay window and the little one to the left. Under the bay, some miniature fragrant bushes-Miss Kim lilacs maybe- would only grow about 4' high and could be pruned to stay under the window. If fragrance isn't important, another idea would be barberry bushes. They would add color during our long winters and can be pruned into behaving under the window. The white stones would be a nice contrast to the red of the barberry. On the garage side of the porch maybe something evergreen-dwarf alberta spruce or golden tipped boxwood? Be sure to allow for spread of each and then you still have the ability to plant annuals for a splash of color in front of the bushes each year. Just a couple of ideas- MM

Maisie (6b)'s idea to check for utility locations is a good one...call "Dig Safe". If you think you have any space for trees, I recommend you start your project with trees. They are the backbone of your landscaping. They say "the best time to plant a tree is yesterday. The second best is today". A small bare root tree you plant now will cost a fraction of a large Balled & Burlapped tree you buy in five years...and have a better root system. (Thus being more resistant to drought and wind). The little things can be planted whenever, and you will likely change them several times over the years. Spring is one of the best times to plant trees. See if your County Soil Conservation District has a Spring seedling sale. Generally deciduous trees go to the south (To provide summer shade but not block winter sun). Evergreens go to the north to block winter north winds, between you and the neighbor with the ugliest house, and between you and the nosiest neighbor. I'd visit a local arboretum to get a sense of what trees you like and what options you have. Also look at what grows well in the neighbor's yards...and most importantly, what doesn't. All gardening is local...you will find lots of regionally inappropriate advice online. How many feet from the road to your house? Are there above ground power lines? How far from the street is your oak? Do your neighbor's have a row of street trees you can continue? What is your USDA zone? You could put a small tree in the corner where your walkway meets your driveway. (Really small...think serviceberry or maybe Winter King Hawthorn). Foundation plantings are generally overused...but you have the kind of foundation that calls for them. I always like holly for it's winter interest and Rhododendron for it's huge flowers. Both are easy if you have acidic soil, and I think both tend to look better in irregular shapes then boxwood or yew would. Boxwood, privet and yew look formal, tend to look lousy unless maintained meticulously, and can look "dated". Really an aesthetic choice....to do you prefer the sharp-angled "formal" look or a splash of color in the right seasons? How meticulous do you think you will be about trimming? The other alternative is to pick something that can be cut to the ground and grow back for ease of maintenance. (ie Diablo Ninebark). Those sorts of plants tend to be deciduous and thus not as interesting in the winter. You don't have room for much between your walkway and your house...but you could stick some easy bulbs (eg Daffodils, liatris, nodding onion) there. Or you could turn that strip of grass into a much bed and put perennials there...although that would be more work. If you are willing to put in more work and money, I might put in a hedge (possibly holly) or a picket fence with climbing vines. (Roses or grapes) along your border between you and the pale yellow house.

Missing still are large chunks of the view that are important to the yard. You are not capturing the problem with steps in the photos. (They look like some kind of stained, textured concrete.) I would not have necessarily added them like that. But they are there so I wouldn't necessarily remove them. If your drive is too steep to walk on comfortably, the steps are probably actually useful. If they need a handrail is better judged on site, as photos can be very misleading about grade. It looks like the grass could stand being fertilized, watered and mowed regularly.