Unless a person knows they will be in a house for a short time, I think it's better to plan for the long term, knowing that there may be a period of awkwardness until the final concept rings through loud and clear. In this case (if you're going to be in the house for a while) I would not let the stone and roof colors limit where I go with future house colors. Personally, I don't find the stone attractive enough to call it a "keeper." If budget allows, I'd consider replacing it. If budget doesn't allow, I'd paint it and that will be an improvement and open up color choices for other things. Roofs eventually wear out an need replacement. At that time, you could select a better roof color that goes with your improved house color. Eventually, you could transition to a whole new, improved color scheme. The new pictures help. To be perfectly frank, I don't think the stone columns and fencing help in the least to make the entrance more inviting and appealing. If a courtyard effect was still desired, I think it would be done completely differently than what is there now. So getting rid of those things would be an immediate improvement. The walk needs help, too. Ideally, it would be redone. But if that is not in the budget, then strategically adding to it would be a big help. It especially needs an area of expanded paving near the entrance door. The small "trees" inside and outside of the courtyard are not the right plants for those spots. Is the budget or DIY interest level sufficient to make some sizable changes to the entrance area?

Because plants vary in what seasons they shine, those who suggested that you wait a year to rip out and replant are on the money. You want to see how the house looks in all 4 seasons before deciding what might be nice to keep and what needs replacing. For instance, I think that you might have a poorly pruned clematis next to the steps, and someone else mentioned spring flowering bulbs. As others have said, start after closing with weeding, cutting a V shaped crisp edge to the beds, and adding a natural colored mulch to decrease new weeds sprouting. Get a soil test done at the nearest cooperative extension or land grant university, figure out how much sun the area gets and when during the day, both now and in the fall as the sun angle changes and particularly on the side with the tree. Note that in Doug’s sketch he has widened the pathway and made the beds deeper. Generous beds allow for a longer season of interest, since there is space for more than a single line of plants as Doug’s illustration shows. As others have mentioned, make sure you have planned a mix of evergreens and deciduous plants so that the landscaping is still appealing in late fall, winter, and in early spring before leaf out. Look at other gardens that you find appealing and see how they look in various seasons, not just in late spring and summer. While the idea of fall planting is appealing, I wouldn’t plan to do your planting as soon as this fall. You will be more successful if you have knowledge of your garden’ growing conditions, and you will use you gardening $ more effectively if you take the time to evaluate what is currently there (for instance meatball shrubs can be pruned to allow for a nicer shape if they are a plant you want) and figure out what will grow well in your growing conditions. I ended up reusing a number of the plants that were here at my house, though all were relocated. One resource you may find helpful is the Name that Plant forum which will ID your plants from photos. https://www.houzz.com/discussions/name-that-plant I look at gardening as a life lesson in patience. If you want to bump up the appeal for now, get one or two large pots and plant them with seasonal plants to dress things up while you take the time to evaluate your current yard and plan what you want.

I think I'd change out the iron fencing to something less delicate. It seems out of scale with the look of this house. I'd then add a bed of foundation plantings below the concrete porch. That strip of brick in front seems superfluous; either paint it over or remove it.

Do you feel comfortable telling us closest big city to where the house is located? We can give you some ideas for landscaping that don't cost the earth (pun intended). Depending on where you are, during planting season (early spring in 4B) there are good deals on the common types of evergreen shrubs. Those would look best across the front of the house, all year. You don't need to get things that are expensive or exotic. "Garden variety" yews (for shade) or Juniper (for sun) is fine and you can find them on sale at the big box stores in early spring. Look closely at the tag to be sure you get something that won't get too large. Before you buy, check how many hours of sun you get where you are planting. Choose shrubs that will be happy with the amount of water and light they will get in that spot. Don't plant them too close together even though they're small. Plant far enough from the house that they will be a foot away from it at maturity (although this will look weird at first). Look at the tag and space them accordingly. Planting too close together is a waste of money and you'll have to move them or prune them later if you do. To me it looks like you need about 7-8 evergreen shrubs, which won't break the bank. When shrubs are small, I plant white sweet alyssum all over as a living ground cover between them. Cheaper than mulch, looks great, and reseeds itself every year. Tiny roots so easy to remove if you want to get rid of it. As the shrubs get larger they will cover it. If you want something taller against the house before the shrubs are mature, cosmos are so pretty. Again, inexpensive and readily available as tiny plants at the garden center in spring. As far as flowers, maybe in front of the shrubs, there are lots of ways to do that economically too. Some of my favourites come up from seed every year (white alyssum, bachelor's buttons, calendula) or are perennials where I have received cuttings from friends. Unless you need more pathyways functionally, I wouldn't add more hardscaping if budget is a concern. As far as edging, some types are a big pain for mowing. My preference is to just take a spade and dig straight down to make a little trough. Re-do it early spring and mid summer. You can mow right up to it. If you like you can use a weed-eater to trim it, or a pair of garden shears. Free and looks good. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hBgqBC4EIxQ