Shrub to accent new porch

I am a beginner to planting flowers/shrubs/anything....we had no landscaping done when we moved to our house and we just got our front porch rebuilt and now it's time to think about planting new flower, shrubs. I am in ZONE 5 and need some ideas of what to plant, and WHEN. Since it's Fall, is it too late to plant something?
Thanks for your help - I need it :-)

A picture of the area to get an idea of size would be a big help. What kinds of things makes you say "wow" when you see them?

chris

And how much sun does the area get?

I will try to get a pic tonight and post it. The area does get sun all day. I've been looking around a little and like the look of azalea bushes.
Thanks for replying !

Good girl, searching for as much info will help you decide AND give you some tips, do remember that Azaleas and Rhododendrons need an acidic soil, so please check that you have that otherwise your plants wont do too good, they dont really like full sun all day and at the start of spring, if you have a night frost then early morning sun, this can damage the tender flower buds causing then to rot and wont flower. saying all that, there are some really wonderful Azalea's, my favourites are the bright yellow and also orange ones that give off a real fragrant smell when in flower and they grow into a good size shrub, if you have the right soil for them, then you could also consider Magnolia or Camellia, these you can grow as shrubs or grow them against the wall of your porch onto a frame which offers some protection from the frost conditions I mentioned. Go along to your library or book store to look out for books on beginners landscaping where they will have ideas for all kinds of garden areas to be cultivated including covering porch areas as well as lots of other landscapes, the pictures in these books will show you what you can achieve, how to do it and what plants were used for that area, these books can be expensive, so if you do buy one, make sure it is in simple terms and that it is not over complicated in the info as you will be put off by all the jargon and you really dont need to have complications, you will learn as you go along, but enjoy the project as it is for your benefit and you will be looking at it for a long time, be patient and dont expect your chosen plants to look like they have been there for ever, like you, they need time to adjust to the new area they are to grow into. Autumn is the best time for planting any shrubs as they are not struggling with the heat of summer sun and dry conditions, early spring is good too before the hot weather, but you may find the plants are more expensive then as everyone wants their garden ready for summer. good luck and enjoy. Good luck and happy new gardening. Weenel.