i think any shrub would look organized if you prune it. most use evergreens though. i dont have organized shrubs, i like the wild look lol. it might be more helpful to you if you got pics of your yard n asked for ideas. or draw a pic in paint lol ive done that.

It looks to me like you are planning to plant a bit close to the house and that the plants currently there are somewhat close (and the variegated dogwood is too large for its spot.) In order to prevent future maintenance issues, figure out the future width of your plants, divide by 2, and then add 3 feet to that to figure out how far from the house to plant. That will give you room between the shrubs and the house to clean, repaint trim, replace windows, etc. You might need to widen your bed some more in order to do that. Also, be sure that you can comfortably run your lawnmower along the curves in your bed. I guess I am not sure what your question is. It seems like you have chosen your shrubs and their approximate location. Do you want perennials or groundcover?

Ok, here's what I would suggest, but keep in mind I'm not a landscape designer. However I have been thinking and reading a lot about house fronts lately because I'm re-doing the front of my house too. First, let me say that your house is very pretty, and it looks to me like you've got a terrific opportunity now to make your dream garden. That gorgeous tree is in the perfect spot and the natural grass pathway between it and the pachysandra bed in front of the house is very nice. I'd keep the pachysandra (it's a beautiful bed) but mix shrubs right in with it -- some evergreen and some flowering, so you have color in the spring and summer. Just dig the holes for the shrubs right into the pachysandra, and either toss what comes out or transplant it to the other side. (Think how much you'll save on mulch every year!) Before choosing which specific shrubs to plant though, I'd think about height and placement. Looking at the house straight-on, you want to see some balance, though the two sides of the porch don't have to be mirror images of each other. The tree adds height on one end of the house, so I'd plant something tall and full at the other end too -- something like a lilac, on the corner by the downspout, where you would also see and smell it from the side porch windows. What comes to mind next is to add height on each side of the front door to frame it and make it look inviting. Since your porch looks wide, you might consider 2 large containers, each with a tall, narrow evergreen, something like 'Green Tower' boxwood. Right next to the porch on each side, you could plant taller shrubs on the pachysandra side than on the other because the windows are higher from the ground there. Just keep in mind different shapes, sizes, and shades of green to make it look interesting, and put smaller bushes in front of the larger ones, varying the height here and there. Unless you're in the very top west corner of NJ, you're in zone 7, which gives you a lot of choice! Before considering specific shrubs, though, about how many hours of sun does the front of your house get during the day?

is there landscape fabric under the rock? when you can verbalize what you might want to do.. its easy to actually do it ... do you have any ideas ??? i presume the tree stays.. since it looks brand new.. or is it an HOA thing?? the grass seems pretty useless ... must it be kept intact ... on other words is it an HOA thing??? you need some height to offset the blinding nature of the color scheme ... but 3 feet at the foundation really isnt the place the plant things that get tall ... foundation plantings are intended to hide the foundation.. not where you plant big plants ... and to be clear.. i like the paint scheme ... but i would like it more if it were softened by greenery .... now far is it from walkway to house??? is snow removal an issue.. in the sense of neede space to pile snow.. or street plowing??? the only thing i can think of in that 3 foot bed.. for height would be trellises ... and maybe some clematis ... looks like a brand new sub.. i dont suppose any of the other similar houses are already landscaped.. so we could steal ideas?? ken