My all time favorite rose is Mrs B R Cant, but I am not sure if it is hardy to zone 6. It grows here in Richmond on a windy hill top with no protection and no die back though. But it is really big. But oh, soooo fragrant. Blush Noisette is fragrant, healthy, hardy to zone 6, a loveley blush pink, and good repeat bloomer.

I'm doing the same "hide a fence" thing presently. If you want really cheap, fast and evergreen, you can use any of the cold hardy English Ivies in zone 6. I recommend 'Thorndale.' It's the hardiest with larger leaves for coverage. It's not invasive here in Utah and shouldn't be in PA either (but double check). I'm only using it because I have a very narrow planting area (12-inches). Most everywhere else I'm using 'American Pillar' Arborvitae (narrow, fast, dense, hardy and evergreen). It's cheaper than a privacy fence if you purchase starters and it's very fast growing for an arborvitae (up to 3' per year). However, it maybe overkill for what you want because it grows tall quickly (20' - 30'). You can find a cheaper Arborvitae for use as a shorter hedge. If you have a lot of snow on the ground during the winter, then you may just find a privet hedge will suite you fine. It's not evergreen from Christmas through March, but it's branches are pretty dense and no one's usually outdoors during that time anyway to really worry about it. However, unlike the 'American Pillar' Arborvitae, it'll need lots of pruning on both sides of the fence to keep in check. (My neighbor around the corner has it bordering the front of his property and it's a true beauty to behold. It would be my first choice except I need full privacy in the winter months due to my next door neighbor's windows being only a few feet from my windows and currently I have to keep my blinds closed all the time because they never do). Privet is super fast and cheap, but make sure to get the cultivar 'Cheyenne' as it is the most cold hardy variety. Those are your main options for cheap and fast, but their are a lot more options available for your area if you can move up in price and/or don't mind the speed. (ie. Hollies, Yews, Boxwoods, Firethorns, etc.). Good luck.

Thinking about what mad_gallica said, the house is indeed asymmetrical if you look at it straight on from the street, as all of the pictures do, and your planting plans are all essentially a strip along the front. The house is visible though from the side as you walk or drive along the street. What's happening on that left side, with a view into the side yard, can change the whole balance of the view. Have you thought about some plantings (nice tree and/or shrubs) that will counteract the weight of the garage? These plantings could/should wrap around the corner into the side yard. Maybe there are already plantings there that you just haven't shown us? Claire

What Mad Gallica said. My beds are at a minimum of 5'-6' and some much deeper. The ones I started at 4' are now deeper - I had to go back and widen them. You want at least a foot of space to get in close to the building for any maintenance and to allow the building to dry rather than being damp all the time. Also, there is a rain shadow created by the building itself, and since you said that this area isn't easy to water, you will find it difficult to get anything to grow there. So if your bed is only 3' deep you have space for only one rather squashed row of plants which isn't as attractive as a deeper bed. Regardless, plan on running a hose there for the first year or hauling water by hand since pretty much anything benefits from water its first year. Planting this fall may make this less of a chore since they will have a chance to grow roots in warm soil, but with cooler air temperatures, so not as high a need for water as with spring plantings. If you can make one spot in front of the blank wall 8' deep, plant Quickfire Hydrangea paniculata. Mine grows in all day sun 12+ hours midsummer with no supplemental water after the first couple of years, and it blooms from late June-Early July until frost, starting white for a month and moving through various shades of pink to a deep pink around Labor Day, which it holds for the rest of the fall, so a full 4 months of bloom in my garden. Mine after 8 years is about 7' tall, but is only adding height slowly at this point. A few other tall plants with relatively small footprints that don't spread via roots are hollyhock (a biennial, so let it go to seed) and I have a tall, airy, lavender meadow rue (Thalictrum) blooming now which I no longer remember the name of. It also seeds some, but can be cut before the seeds ripen, or the seedlings are easily pulled. Both these grow for me in quite sunny spots that almost never get watered - maybe if we have a month without rain.