Wow! Taking out the shrubs made quite a difference. I love how your planters look! I think your home is lovely, I smile every time I see it!

Thanks, holly! I love the look and the planters. And even though I complain about home ownership, I really do love this house. You are very sweet!

What zone are you in? And does the front of your house get full sun or part sun or shade? That will drive what you plant there. I agree there is a little imbalance, but that doesn't bother me that much. I'd definitely take out the dead azalea. The imbalance of the size of the planting beds is apparent but you could fix that by planting another azalea on the right side (looking toward the house).

Love your planters - I think I have some very similar. If you'd like pinks, the hot pink geraniums would be nice and they like sun to bloom well. There are also New Guinea impatiens in beautiful colors that would contrast well and have nice foliage that would be low-growing in front of the geraniums. Many choices for you. I'd make sure you put in some soil amendment ('Black Kow' composted manure is great and you could work in a bag on each side - available at the big box stores). Go take a look at a good nursery near you and they might have some other good suggestions. I love the purplish-blue salvias. There are several varieties and some are perennials in my zone. They would add some height and another color, plus attract butterflies and hummingbirds and another silvery-green foliage and bloom all summer and into fall. Good luck! It's looking great!

Thanks for your input, ousideplaying! We are in zone 6 according to GW but in zone 7a according to the USDA site. Front of house is south facing and gets full afternoon sun. I think I will transplant one of the azaleas, as the one on the left is blocking the planter, so I think it will be better served on the right.

I will take a look at geraniums and the New Guinea impatiens (I think that is what is in the planter in the middle). I like the idea of a little height, as last year with the begonias, they were hard to see over the edge of the grass since they are low. Purple salvias sound pretty too! Thank you so much for the options! I will go check out a nursery to see what's available.

Beautiful! Have you ever grown fern outdoors before? They don't like full sun. An hour or two of early morning sun is fine, but the hot sun in the afternoon will brown, then kill, the leaves.

Can you move them to a shady area then get new planters? Or just buy some inexpensive pots to transplant them in, and use your planters for flowers that requires full sun.

They love to be misted for the humidity.

Ack, oakley!!! No, I've never grown fern. I've barely grown anything! Ugh. The "landscaper" that did this knew about the full sun. So annoying! Hmmm...I guess I can transplant them elsewhere and put something else in there.

Thank you so much for letting me know!

Love, love, love the color of your door. Do you mind sharing what it is?

Your house is so pretty. I'd suggest a more ambitious plan, though moving the azalea is good for now.

You said you liked how removing the ilex opened it up. I'd go further and remove the sheared hedges. Their rigid form almost makes them more of a focal point of your home than the cute windows and stone. I'd replace the yews (?) with foundation plants about half their height. A more natural form will soften the stone. I think it will look more like a stone cottage if we can see the small white framed windows set into the stone instead of their bottom frame being obscured by hedges.

The azaleas are nice in bloom, but they are also a bit severe and add nothing for summer and fall interest. I would consider removing some of them and making a mixed border planting. I'd also stop shearing the tops.

At the very least remove the large shrub on the corner. A Japanese maple would look good there. Since your rhodie looks like it needs some TLC, maybe you should consider new corner shrubs or trees and go from there. Put that gardener to work!

@shilohsmom, thank you! The color is BM Caribbean Azure. Here is a link to my front door thread and the reveal thread:
http://ths.gardenweb.com/forums/load/decor/msg0312245827685.html

http://ths.gardenweb.com/forums/load/decor/msg041707553575.html

@mayflowers, appreciate the advice! I agree with it. We don't have the budget for a full landscaping reno this year, but that is definitely in the plan. I do love the stone front and definitely want to show more of it. Last year was our first year in the house (moved in in April), so it was good to see how things grow and what was growing. And while I love azaleas and the color in spring, I don't like them in summer/fall/winter, as you say. I am not sure if they have been shearing them but I will ask. And funny you mention the rhodie. My sister said the same thing. I will see what I can do. : )

I don't know how well they do in your zone, but I'd be tempted to plant lantana. The New Gold lantana work very well for me in strong afternoon sun. They don't need deadheading and they look great all summer.

I love geraniums. I don't plant them by my front door because I'm a very lazy gardener and wouldn't deadhead them enough to keep them looking great, but I do plant New Guinea impatiens and I agree they would look beautiful there in your yard. I love the vibrant colors of impatiens. I agree that salvia would look great there, too. Lots of wonderful choices.

You might like dragon wing begonia there, if you like begonias. Mine get a lot taller than regular wax begonias.

Good luck whatever you choose, and you have a lovely home.

If azalea and begonia have survived the sunlight then the fern my have a chance too.

" No, I've never grown fern. I've barely grown anything! Ugh. The "landscaper" that did this knew about the full sun. So annoying! Hmmm...I guess I can transplant them elsewhere and put something else in there."

The landscaper may not be at fault here as originally those planters were on the porch which might have been shady. Do you have a shady place behind the house where they might do well?

I think New Guinea impatiens also do better with some shade, not in full sun.

After you have balanced those azaleas by moving one to the right side I suggest you do some homework and learn what plants do best in your zone in full sun. Annuals are inexpensive and there are lots that are suitable as an edging plant which will do well in full sun.

There is lots of info online and the following link may provide some ideas of which plants you may like that will survive full sun. Also info on planting, caring for plants, and garden design. Or just go to your local garden center and look at all the pretty flowers and read the labels. That's always lots of fun!

Here is a link that might be useful: some info here

Thanks all!

@daisy, lantana is pretty! I will have to check that out. I will also look into the dragon wing begonias. The begonias were really pretty last year.

@emma, you give me hope! I might just leave the fern and see what happens.

@lucky, the porch is only shady for a bit of the day. It is pretty shallow and I told the landscaper it gets full sun. Anyway, I don't want to move the whole planter, as they were purchased specifically for the front. I do have shade in the back where they could go. I will definitely do some homework! Thanks for the link.

As I said, I am a lazy gardener, and except for a few places in my yard it's all survival of the fittest. I'd be tempted to throw a little of everything right there and see what does the best this year, and then plant the top performer there next year.

Because of the zone difference, your flowers may perform differently there than here. Here New Guinea impatiens would do better with some shade. They will take more sun than a regular impatiens, but they need some shade here. They do better with a lot of water the more sun they get, at least for me.

If you planted wax begonias before - those little wax begonia flowers are tough, forgiving plants for me. I tip my hat to those things every year. Full sun or part sun/lots of water or not, they just keep on truckin'.

If you decide to keep the fern in front, then it would probably help a lot if you do what Oakley suggests and mist them. If I wasn't such a lazy gardener I'd water them morning and night and make sure they get a good misting when I watered.

To me, those plants the landscaper put in the planter would suggest part sun rather than full sun down here in Georgia. Fern, New Guinea impatiens, and million bells all perform better for me if they are not in the hot, hot deep South sun all day. So maybe your zone makes a difference. In which case you might consider some/a hosta there if you have room, maybe behind the planter?

Little vinca are short like begonias but they are lovely in the right spot. I like the way they look better than begonias.

My lantana is tough, can take a little drought and a lot of sun, blooms its head off all summer and doesn't require deadheading.

You might also consider planting some pretty, low-growing herbs right there that will smell nice at the doorstep. Maybe some lemon thyme or some globe basil, or some of that beautiful variegated sage.

Good luck whatever you choose. What a fun problem to have, deciding which flowers to plant in that lovely spot.

That looks like a sword fern and they grow in the sun here in zone 8, but they are native to the PNW. I do think the planters would look better flanking the door. You could take out the azaleas that are closest to the steps and leave the ones in front of the yews and then plant the bare areas. You could use perennials. I would get something that is tidy and mounds, like a golden or orange heuchera or golden hakone grass. Zagreb coreopsis. Even reblooming daylilies. It needs a little brighter color because of the evergreens. Use three on each side--two in front and one to the side of the bottom step.

I would do all white flowers under the ferns in the planter, it would pop more and still coordinate with the pink theme you want to have in your front rows of solid color.

your house is indeed very pretty and welcoming !

Mmmmmm, golden hakone grass is gorgeous....I didn't think of that. I've been eyeing that for my own planters both last year and this year. Great suggestion, may_flowers!

It's one of my go-to plants. Not in the least fussy and does well in sun and shade here.