Hello All

My south facing front yard needs some help... and I don't know where to begin. Background: My roof's eaves extend about 2-3 feet over the yard and I also have a mature oak tree providing additional dappled shade. Initially the landscape consisted of, from my front door going left, a couple of boxwoods, a holly, some type of low growing conifer/evergreen, another holly, and a crabapple growing on the corner of the house surrounded at the base by some type of euonymus (i think.. it's some clumpy ground covering plant that grows on wood stems with variegated leaves of yellow and green). Sorry I don't have pictures to show you all.

The hollies were in bad shape, so I pulled them and learned in the process how dry the soil was because the roof prevents rain water from wetting that area. I want to keep the crabapple and the plant at its base, as well as the boxwood. But if the low growing conifer is a hindrance or is guzzling up what little natural water I have, I'm willing to part with it becauseI really would like to add some color to the front of my house, preferably with a colorful shrub.

Thanks!