I see that you just registered...Welcome go Garden Web and the Landscape Design forum!

At this point about the only advice that I can pass along is that you will have to provide a lot more information about yourself and what you expect from this garden before you will be able to get meaningful responses. There have been previous threads on this forum with questions to think about when designing a landscape...maybe you can find them with a search. A good start is to think about how you want to use this space, what type of style you are aiming for, how much budget do you have, how much gardening experience do you have, and how much time to you have to maintain your garden?

- Brent

Well in the absence of more information, there is some scope for imagination here.

I'd say this is a house that could use some foundation planting. I don't even know what direction it faces so how much sun it gets or doesn't, so can't visualize type of plant, but I'd make a really deep bed and a nice shrub border I think; something that would stay neatly trimmed, though, so as to not overwhelm the house.

Now, Kansas... does that mean snow in winter? If so, the hellstrip could remain unplanted for space to throw snow, and another deep border could be put in the yard right at the public sidewalk. Depending on traffic, these are a bit of a pain due to accumulating litter and dogs, though, so I might actually consider a fence or hedge to enclose the whole yard if you want to garden much. If not, I think a lower mixed border, shrubs and perennials or annuals, would work. I would not go along the two sides of the walkway. I'd leave the right side open to the yard so you could go into what I would make a semi-circular lawn surrounded by beds, maybe with some decorative boulders to provide some countour, and a small clipped boxwood hedge to the left of the walkway, enhanced by annuals.

Is that your driveway on the right or the neighbour's walk? If it's your driveway, do you need to get across the yard to your door? If so, nice excuse for a pathway. If not, I'd do a low hedge on that side too to define the boundary and set off your plants. And possibly another tree at the right front corner.