It is good to have the before pictures to ask folks what they might keep so you can pull those last if you don't like them. But to give you the best end result you need to clear out most of the over growth so that people can help you. Many of those bushes can be cut way back and they will come back smaller and then you can keep them controlled.

Post the bush/shrub cleaned out version photos and some ideas of what you are interested in (special garden plants you like for butterflies, hummingbirds, vegetables, shade, sun, entertainment, low maintenance etc.) Photos should be bigger and panned like Yardvark likes. Also draw up a plan of house foot print and yard with measurements (how deep the beds are around the house, how big the lot is, distance form house to road, size of back yard). ***This will get you the best response.

For example-

I can't tell how close the tree is to the house on the left side.

Do you want some color in the little secret garden in the last photo? A water feature, more seating?

Do you like minimal landscaping or English garden?

Right now your house is a burglar's dream--lots of unruly bushes to hide behind,

Well, Christine, I would love to help you, but right now, you are beyond my help. What people don't realize about the photo-mocking process is that trying to clean old plants away from in front of houses is a time consuming process. And here, your house is so smothered up in plants that I wouldn't know where to begin! Additionally, the photos are small, not panoramic, and not taken from the right places for your house. Your house seems quite wide so it would need to be handled differently than most. I suggest that you start at square one and just get analysis on what plants to remove for sure. (Even this would require different photos.) Remove them, then take new photos and we might get somewhere with a direction for adding new plants. Let me know if that sounds acceptable to you and if it does, I'll give you some directions for taking pictures for analyzing what you need to remove.

Sounds great

ideas:

I love it!

Thank you Dig Doug!!! I can’t wait to start!!! I am going to try to get it as close to that pic as I can. I know the trees are Crepe Myrtle and Agave? by curb

You can use Agave, which will look very nice....the shrubs shown are Sago Palms.

I really appreciate the time you spent on it. The palms are awesome

Your new house is gorgeous.

I think it is hasty to say you must remove every plant present. I think I see ferns and mondo grass inside the courtyard. I don't know why they would have to go. I would remove the larger shrubs in front of the courtyard wall and the palm. The junipers at the end of the walk are not appealing either.

You probably can't get the right type of photos until you have moved in. Does the house face south?

I will definitely keep the ferns. I love the mockup Dig Doug did above. I can’t stand the junipers but have to have something there to hide pipes. His suggestion above is perfect. They house faces East