I wonder if an "oval" of grass would help in this case??? I just looked up the definition of an ellipse on mathworld and my eyes are still spinning :-) I think Reyesuela makes a couple of good points. The first, regarding the grass shape, is that when you make your beds, you should pay attention to the shape of grass you are creating, not so much the shape of the bed - the bed shape will be more or less immaterial once you get it filled, while the grass shape will always show up. And actually, since you like formal, I might almost play with a rectangle of grass under the window surrounded by straight beds on three sides, obviously not going right to the road to avoid the snow plow - or putting low, tough plants like the most vigorous hostas on the road edge. The second, if I understand correctly, is to create a space within your front yard where you can be, or to enclose your house, rather than making it a sort of frame for your house to be simply looked at. I strongly agree that, especially when you have a small amount of space, what matters most is how you want to feel when you are in it or in the house looking out. Depending on the feel of your street, you may want to be visible; I don't know. What complicates this approach is what you say about the snow plow... you might be best off to make the front edge grass, along with the edges of the driveway where your car door needs to open. I would not not not do a standard foundation bed under the window. So predictable. I think a pretty patch of grass, tidy beds - not necessarily symmetrical plantings, but formal is good - there is really something about that row of Rhodies that just looks right. You could remove sod under them, joining their little patches into a long straight bed, underplant them a bit if you widen the bed. karinL

Based on your last picture, I would begin removing lower branches from the tree in an attempt to regain a view of the house and so that lawn can be maintained easily below the tree. To not remove lower limbs encourages the upright oriented limbs to become future trunks and compete with the main trunk. Not that that is bad in and of itself, if that's what one wants. But it often results in a trunk formation that is less attractive when trunks branch below the canopy. (Unless it's a multi-trunk tree and then it looks best if it "branches" at the ground.) It's already happened and when allowed to go too far, is too difficult to correct without maiming the tree's appearance. Also, the one low branch on what looks to be a weeping cherry at left corner of house seems odd and out of place. I would get rid of the white gravel mulch and replace it with wood-based mulch. Plan so that plants eventually cover everything and there is no longer need for mulch. In my drawing I'm showing an idea for creating a landing off of the stoop. It's not a finished plan, but you could create a workable plan that improves the approach to the entrance. I'm surmising that the slab continues behind the hedge, in which case, I'd get rid of the hedge and all plants in front of it and bring only grass to slab ... the purpose being to make a welcoming entrance instead of a secret, purposeless hideaway. It is not necessarily the case that ADDING plants is the key to improving your property. The large shrub left of walk seems too close to the walk. If you can't relocate it to in-line with the window (about 4' from the wall,) I'd scrap it and get another shrub for that location. I'm showing only groundcover around the weeping cherry. It looks a bit junky to have those other plants coming up under it.

These were old pic taken from when I first moved in around 2 years ago. I will post new pics with the work I have completed and unhappy with.

With the redbud there and your preference for minimal planting you don't need an additional tree. Otherwise apart from their current size the main issue with the existing shrubs is that they have been formally sheared to all have generally the same size and shape, more or less. And since over around the garage an exposed foundation isn't visible you may not need to have any shrubs in front of the left part of the house at all. Due to the implication being that the foundation is not exposed there either. Maybe it would even be to your taste to have a bed of shrubs around the redbud and nothing but lawn and paving around the house.