Yeah, the old bushes were a little too high. We were thinking some boxwoods to go with some hydrangeas? Something with some color to hopefully pop against the darker porch and dark mulch. The original space in front of the porch was pretty deep. I'm guessing almost 5'. Does it need to be that deep? Also, when I add the mulched area around the sidewalk, how deep should that be? I was thinking 1.5'? Is that enough room to add a few small bushes?

How much wider will the drive be? I am starting to frown upon artificial turf. It is expensive so many people in my area settle for a small patch the size of a through rug and then pour rocks all around it. I much prefer something like Doug has done above. One thing about Dougs design that is so nice is that I can see the path and it is not flanked by shrubs. It make the entrance more inviting.

Closed September 30? So you're in the home as of this month? Congrats on the new home. Nice place. Once you've had a real yard for a while, then not having one will seem almost like punishment. Take your time trying to get stuff done, especially major landscaping -- it is an ongoing issue. Before you ADD landscaping, you should decide how much time and effort and energy and money you want to put in it on an ongoing basis. For now, you may want to just keep the grass and weeds mowed. Putting soil against a tree trunk will eventually cause growths on it and rot that will kill it even though it can take several years to do so. Falling trees can damage a home or car or anything else in its path. If you had lived in the home for all four seasons you'd probably have a good idea which trees you definitely want to keep and which you definitely would like to remove. You might want to begin paying attention to what trees shade what areas and what the trees look like during the different seasons so that by this time next year you'll be able to make a more informed decision as to what trees to to keep and what trees to remove. No rush to remove trees as "landscaping" unless it is dead and could fall, thus poses a threat to persons and/or property. When you're ready to remove trees, you MIGHT be able to find pros that would cut and haul off the trees you want cut in exchange for keeping the lumber of firewood from them; however, if you make such a deal, both you and the pro need to be very clear on what will taken and what will be left... stump, roots, limbs, etc. Ideally, the pros should be from an established local business with liability insurance but, depending upon where you are, there might be some "self employed" loggers, too, that work out of their homes. Talk with a local landscaper and see if they might provide information on options. A pro should know how to make the tree fall away from you home or outbuildings or fence or any neighbor's property. If you're even considering DIY on this, first watch a lot of You Tube vids and Reddit vids, etc., on how to cut a tree and "what could go wrong" doing so before you begin cutting trees yourself. If you just want any tree(s) only trimmed to let in more sunlight, however, that will definitely cost you and it will need to be done during the cold months -- after the sap goes down for the season when the trees are dormant. As to mud or standing water, you might consider the slope of the yard specifically with regard to whether or not it would be practical to create drainage for the mud -- without dumping all the water/mud on your neighbor. You might also want to be certain that a problem with your septic system is not contributing to the problem -- do you have a septic tank and where is it and where are the drain lines or utility sewage lines. You need to know where any/all the utilities are buried before doing any major digging. Depending upon whether or not you'd actually use it, it might be worth considering to create a deck and/or boardwalk over some of the more problem wet/muddy areas. IF you don't have a septic tank and drain field, and after you talk with a local landscaper. you might plant the kind of tree(s)/plants that like a lot of water (weeping willows come to mind) to see if they'll absorb more water more quickly. Note: The "thirsty" trees can fill up your tank and drain pipes with roots. Search the web and talk with landscapers: Be careful not to plant an invasive species or you'll be creating work for yourself long term.. In a really shady area, I like moss. It can take a few years to spread to cover the shady dirt/muddy areas but when it does, you can mow over the moss to get rid of any weeds and not have dirt sprayed everywhere. The moss becomes an outdoor carpet, albeit a damp one in a damp area. As you decide what to keep/plant, keep in mind how you'll maintain it -- can easily mow your yard around whatever plants you'll have in your yard with the kind of mower you'll have -- gas powered push or riding mower.

completely agree with decoenthusiaste . It's one thing to over-landscape an ugly house - and there are a lot of them - but it's a travesty to have this cutie so marred by busy overgrown 'landscaping' or 'foundation shrubbing' lol. I had a sinister AP bio teacher in high school who said of the problem of over-population: "Kill every 5th". LOL. In this case I say, 'get rid of every other shrub.' I don't have time to go thru with a fine toothed comb but in the first picture, at the very least, get rid of the straggly rhododendron, and the dark green shrub closest to the bay / oriel. Leaving the 2 sorta variegated looking ones. Well I wouldn't get rid of it if it were a choice rhodie cultivar but it almost certainly isn't. In that case I would ground layer it to save it. otherwise just chop it down, drill a few 3/8" holes in the stump and fill with an herbicide to keep it dead. The big crypto could use a wee bit of *very* light pruning but I like it and would leave it. I think this is what houssaon called a pine and X'ed out for removal. Looks more like a cryptomeria, and unlike pines, they are extremely frozen precip resistant if correctly pruned. It's ok to have a big tree or two near a house...especially that one. It's probably not growing very fast. Did you plant that weeping spruce? It's wwwaaayyyyy too close to the house! Oh, wait, I see the pot now. Thank goodness you haven't planted yet. You want to see that from one of your windows afar...not covering the view from the windows! Put it out closer to the sidewalk.