HelpfulGardener.com

Hi everyone,
I am really hoping someone here with great gardening wisdom might be able to give me some suggestions. I have a small space outside my apartment up against the house that I want to do something with - we live in New York (Zone 7a). It is quite a sunny little spot, it gets sun from about 10-11am all day with very hot afternoon sun. As you can see, I have a lavender bush there now, and pansies that have done really well. There is one large bush (on the left) that will remain, however, I am removing the two bushes that are in the middle (I've indicated these with red arrows) to make space for my garden. I'd like a garden that's colored with flowers but prefer darker, luscious greens. I'd prefer something that is going to last year after year. I don't mind maintaining it. I don't know where to start - I was thinking some smaller shrubs/bushes in the back with a mixture of smaller things in the front but don't even know what bushes/shrubs/flowers to begin looking at. Thanks!

Hi, have you tried checking out gardening design on the web? Better Homes and Gardens has ideas, found some helpful advice here - https://www.firsteditionsplants.com/ - again the grower websites have lots of advice. You can also search online for front garden ideas.
Don't forget your local library - they usually have a ton of gardening books with ideas and YouTube has many gardening videos too.
Keep in mind the total growth area needed for you plants when they are mature. If you get a lot of heat in the summer think about mulching to retain moisture.
I'd love to hear about your ideas and hope you keep us all posted with your choices.

I would not plant anything within a couple of feet of the house. Just mulch.

Some of your landscape plants look very old. I might want to replace some of those.

Maybe since you are renting, you don't care that planting anything right next to the house is a very bad idea. You are going to be watering your plants, which means the foundation will stay damp and roots can start penetrating. Very damaging. Who ever planted the large bush made a mistake and really it should come out. But I assume that is your landlord's problem, not yours. I agree with imafan, just mulch within two feet of the house, preferably gravel.

For cold winter climates red twig dogwood is a flowering shrub (not dark, luscious green) that has bright red stems. In the winter after the leaves have dropped, it is very showy against a snowy landscape (although the red brick is not the best backdrop for that). Viburnum is one of my favorite shrubs. Exceptionally fragrant flowers in spring followed by berries that birds like. There are dwarf versions that stay three to four feet tall. But not dark green and not evergreen. For the dark green you want, probably you are talking about broad leaf evergreens: azaleas, rhododendrons, kalmias, daphne. But they tend to not like hot afternoon sun, so you might need to plant something with them that will shade them a bit.