Landscaping

I am clueless when it comes to landscaping. I'm also kind of against it. I mean, I obviously love trees and flowers and gardens, but guess what? When you have those things, YOU HAVE TO TAKE CARE OF THEM and I would much rather be playing with Cora or napping or EATING or drawing or weaving or hanging out with friends or my husband (if he's home). Plus, weeding is impossible when you're pregnant. Normally weeding is a big, fat jerk, but it's even worse when you can't see your toes because of a burgeoning belly.

We've waited to do any landscaping close to the house because we knew we'd be getting new siding and windows, and we didn't want whatever beds we put in to be trampled by workers. But now that siding and windows are checked off our list (should be done before the end of June! huzzah!), we can start planning what plants we'd like to put in this fall and next spring.

There are two main places that need our attention: one is in the front yard next to the walkway leading to our front door, and the other is in the back yard next to the patio/under the den window (see photos).

Eric is most excited about the bed in the front yard; for some reason, he really, really hates the bushes growing there and I just know that one day I will come outside to find him hacking them out with glee.

I am more excited for the bed in the back yard. Probably because I have to look at its ugliness much more frequently, and while the front bed at least looks purposeful, the back one is just kind of.... trashy looking.... We've contemplated putting our raised garden beds here - there's an underground sprinkler just under the window and they'd be watered frequently without us having to think about it. AND it'd be a much shorter walk to grab a tomato for dinner :). The other idea I've had is to extend the bed outward along the side of the patio... does that make sense? It would be more of an L-shape full of bushes and ornamental grasses (Eric looooves those tall grasses for some reason) so we'd have a little more privacy from our neighbor's driveway/backyard.

I drew some very rough sketches of these spaces, complete with measurements.....

this bed is a 6x20' rectangle. Pretty easy. 

this bed is 3' wide at the end of the house, and expands to be 6' wide by the patio (obv can be changed). it's 19' long and there are two sprinkler boxes buried in the ground just outside the 6' end which would have to be worked around

......but I now I have no idea how to begin. I have no idea what kinds of plants grow well here and since I'll be needing two very different sets of plants - one for a northern exposure that gets absolutely no light (hydrangeas? hostas?) and one for a southern exposure - I'm a bit out of my depth. I guess I just wander into Gainan's looking pitiful and ask for help....?

Any suggestions are welcome! My only requirement: whatever we plant must be able to survive while being completely ignored for most of the year.