That happens here, vc - not so much now that the forums are slowing down and variety in responses is at a premium. But a simple request for landscaping advice brings out the architect and "let's rebuild the OP's home" in some responders. Maybe what some - who've never experienced such things - people overlook is the idea that many subdivisions/planned communities are built according to an inviolate plan... right down to the exterior paint colors. I've dealt with HOAs in my former life and have gone through hoops with something as simple as a front door repaint. My advice, just as a homeowner, would be to keep it simple. Resist any temptation to lean a trellis somewhere or have roses, clematis, or anything, clingy viney climbing up the arch supports. Also resist ringing the mail box. Relegate the KnockOuts to the backyard and find something a bit more substantial for against the brick and under the window. The Missouri Botanical Garden is a terrific resource and has a wonderful website/plant finder. I'd plant a row of low growing shrubs in front of the porch. Screw in a hook and hang a planter from the center of the right arch for anything like bright trailing petunias, or a sweet potato vine, big fern, etc. etc. Lastly, a small ornamental tree - a Japanese Maple for instance, planted in the lawn well off center on the right side. Others might say it would be a mowing/maintenance annoyance, but I say something nice might be worth a bit of extra effort.

I live in the Chicago suburbs too, and think your own instincts are great about what should stay and what should go. I think you would like your Sea Green junipers more if they served as a background hedge for the KO roses, and if you used the roses on the other side of the bed in front of the bird's nest spruce, you would get that cohesiveness I think you're looking for. You'll have to remove some of the flat juniper; use it to fill in on the other side where it looks like there's ivy now, put some of it around the tree on the lawn, perhaps with a few hostas, similar to what's under the tree in the third picture. I don't think you need boxwoods too, and the yews can definitely go. I think a hedge of dwarf Korean lilac in the corner nook would look lovely, and smell heavenly in bloom. I notice you have a couple of nice sized mugo pines under the windows on the short side of the house, but honestly some of those shrubs are so sheared I can't ID them. I would keep the pines, and remove the rest. The large round one with white flowers is hiding the great brickwork on your house! I would love to see a mix of interesting deciduous shrubs, like a Harry Lauder's walking stick in between the pines, and a grouping of variegated red-twigged dogwoods on either side of them. I think a Royal Frost birch would be too tall in the front bed, and that river birch or amur maple would be better choices. I would use Virgina creeper to soften the western wall. Hope this helps, and doesn't confuse you more! :)

It's better if you post the picture directly into the thread.

Man those are some large and blurry pictures. Are you talking about removing the (deciduous?) shrub right in front of the porch? I agree that it looks a bit out of place and not real attractive. Any idea what it is? I would not say that your landscape looks too bad...especially if you are going for low maintenance because it looks like most of what you have there is rather low maintenance. The yews(?) on the right can be thinned out to keep them in check. I would suggest that you use the weed filled bed as a place to add some color using annuals and/or perennials...or maybe for some small conifers with interesting foliage. - Brent