Beginner Gardening: Foundation Shrubs for Front of house - Zone 9, 1 by LisaSadie

LisaSadie wrote:
My front yard looks horrible and everything has died. I don't know what to do. Do I need some dwarf shrubs in front of the window and around the fountain as well as some periennials. Right now there are 5 sheshe (spell?) and they have been there a couple years without growing - I am going to move them. I paid someone $15,000 to landscape my front yard and put in walk way and this is what it looks like two years later. I purchased the fountain a few months ago. What types of shrubs can I plant or should I plant to look good around this fountain? It looks so plain. There are 2 large Podacarpus just out of picture flanking the right and left corner of the house. I have a lot of knockout roses and plumbago on the other side of walk way and some in this picture off to left but you can't see them right now. It is all really beautiful once it blooms out but horrible in the dead of winter.

I appreciate any suggestions.