Hi Stefny, to post pics you must upload pictures to a place like photobucket..under the picture in photobucket there will be a list of code...copy the one that says html code and come back to garden web and paste it in the box where you type...then click preview...if the picture shows there it will show here. Ps..If I were you I would post this in the garden web forum home decorating..there are quite a few photoshopians there.

If you can't move the overhang (which I assume is supposed to add some rain protection for the garage area), maybe this will work: There is a trim band underneath the eave on the brick side. It's not repeated anywhere else. So maybe if you add a trim band to visually connect the gutters on the left side with the overhang over the garage, you unify the house a bit more by using repeated elements & a continuous sight line. Landscaping will help ground the house and add a transition from yard to siding. Doesn't solve the problem of the too high overhang, but at least it ties everything together better. Also add trim around the garage.

I'd get the soil tested by your local extension service or state university, and then amend the lawn as needed and reseed the bare spots. I'd take this photo to a local nursery where they have knowledgeable employees and ask for suggestions for low-maintenance, shade or part-shade plants that don't mind wet roots--if your flooding problem is near the house--and plants suitable for your zone. While there, you can look at annuals and perennials and see what you like! I envision a garden bed that extends a few or several feet along your driveway with a nice curve that tapers off near your front door, outlined in mondo grass or something similar. While your trees are gorgeous, thinning them will allow more light to come in and help dry your lawn--and help with the longevity of your roof. If you have a big budget, you could look into regrading your lawn. Trim or weed the plants on the left side and fill in gaps. Other suggestions:: the driveway looks beat, so considering resurfacing. Consider hiding your garbage cans on the side of the house with a privacy fence or bin. Paint front door, perhaps the blue of the shutters--but the shutters are way too narrow for the windows. You didn't say what color your are considering for the trim, but I think this blue looks fine. Finally, if you have enough room to pull your car all the way into the carport, considering getting a garage door.

In the front, you can't go wrong with the classic combination of evergreens + annuals. The evergreens are what is really missing from your plan. They will give your landscaping shape and color all year. Although your stone work is very beautiful as it is, it would look even better with some softening elements that would draw attention to it. By that I mean that in some places you would have plants that would grow over the flat top stones, and then fall over. That type of plant is very attractive in beds like yours where you have a change in level. You need a tall evergreen on the far left, that would define the edge of your house. Also, it's really the only place that you can put something tall. The bed closest to the house should have evergreens as the back area, that are about as high as the bottom of the windows. It's OK if some of the shrubs cover it a bit. In each bed there should be at least one evergreen that cascades over the edge of the stone. Depending on how much sun the bed gets, a carpet Juniper would look nice cascading over the edge. You may need a dwarf varieties of shrubs since your beds are small. Or evergreen ground covers may be a better choice - some of them cascade nicely. Leave space for annuals. With your short blooming season and fairly small space, annuals may be a better choice because they give you good color all summer long. Also, some of them cascade (e.g. petunias or million bells) which will also look good. I'd also put in a few patches of the very early spring flowering bulbs (e.g. kaufmania tulips) just because it's such a thrill to see the first flowers. They stay in the ground as the leaves whither, and the annuals you plant around them will cover them. Daffodils keep their leaves for a long time as they whither, so I prefer them in a further-away bed, rather than a front bed. Your back is a different story. You're probably not out there much in the winter, but I'd still put in some evergreens, including cascading ones. And that's where I'd put perennials and hydrangea panniculata. If you can see any of those beds from the house in the winter, a nice choice is a dogwood shrub - their red stems are just beautiful against the white snow. The hydrangea panniculata have dry flower heads that last through winter and look nice with the snow topping them. They come in every size from dwarf to huge. Some of them grow large so you don't need that many, and they'll be visible from the house. For any plant, check the tag (or online) for the mature height and width. You don't want to plant something that will outgrow its space and need replacement - you want to be "once and done". And leave some space so the plant doesn't touch the house. If you go on a Saturday afternoon in May to any garden center in Canada, it will be very very busy and the staff will not have time to help you. Maybe you could call and ask what is a slow time and day for them so you can get some advice. Or, pay for a consultation. I know that Sheridan Nurseries has a fairly inexpensive program if you buy the plants from them, and they have a good selection.