A few more pictures on the way

Our house is north facing

Would also like ideas for what to do on either side of the driveway!

Last one

Beautiful home and setting. It will be fun to see all the ideas sure to stream in.

I like the yard.

Your home and property look like a Christmas card! Beautiful blank slate!

This Southern California girl can't comment on what will grow, but it's nice you have access to some plants and stones for accenting walks.

Grass seed is cheap, but don't forget to plumb for sprinklers before sowing that seed, and get a riding mower! That will be one HUGE lawn!!

I read that you didn't budget for the yard. I have found that many plants can be propagated by air layers and cuttings. Do geraniums grow there? They add a lot of color in full sun, so if you buy one, you can just stick cuttings in the ground from the mother, and they will grow and bloom too!

North Facing means a lot of shade by the house, so choose plants that like less sun.

With so much property, you could definitely grow some edible fruit trees along your driveway, and stone walls here and there would be nice as well! Stone posts with solar lanterns, marking the entrance to the property would be beautiful!

Suzi

A edible garden nice.

A great front yard,should budget.could do interesting something. I like a foreign garden style.

So nice to view a well designed structure which really needs very little in the way of foundation plantings, except for a few low evergreen types along the right hand 'el'.

One approach: lay a wide walkway (flat stones on hand) which leads onto a large patio across front of house. Plan the patio size for comfortable seating and greeting. Large potted plants as needed on patio. Then design a generous garden bed along the outside edge of the patio for a mixed shrub border which would include the gifted azaleas and other lower growing types; Ilex crenata 'Stokes', India Hawthorn, flowering quinces, hydrangeas.

If there is need for a shade tree near house consider a Japanese Zelcovia. Do some selective brush cutting along driveway which would allow the present young sapling growth to mature at no cost.

Consider planting one Deodar Cedar (Cedrus deodora) out in an open area with lots of room for the beauty and for the ages.

Fenced vegetable garden in the back yard as deer will be a problem.

Given the space it looks like you have, I wish the drive swept farther to the left in order to screen parked vehicles better and to provide an easier turn to line up with the garage. For such a large space, large beds (not tall) are better at focusing one's vision on the front entrance area. There is little need for any tall plant material in front of the house. A medium size "punctuation mark" plant would be OK. I like that the view is kept open for the duration of the entrance drive. However, I wouldn't mind if there was a HIGH ceiling canopy that framed the view. "Street" trees spaced out along the left side of the drive could offer an entry experience that feels sheltered and protected without impeding the distant view. Such trees could also offer an outstanding floral or fall foliage display.