How can I make my front yard look nicer?

Use shade shrubs and rock - make it into a shady glen. There are a few types of grass that grow in the shade.

I used to live in a heavily wooded area and the things that grew were shade loving ground cover like vinca, ivy, and ajuga. The ivy and ajuga being very invasive. Also the ivy is attractive cover to snakes. If you go with the ivy, after it is established, mow it down ever couple of years to keep critters from living in it. It comes back beautifully after being mowed. To keep it from being all ground cover we added a brick patio to the walkway and edged it with hostas and ferns and then potted non-stop begonias for color.

Hi Judy I would fill all those bare spots with some kind of mulch whether it be pine straw of bark mulch or rock then add some shade plants not sure what zone you are in but here are some lovely shade plants

Here is a list of some common flowers to plant under trees. Hostas - Lilies - Bleeding heart - Ferns - Primrose - Sage - Merry bells - Bugleweed - Wild ginger - Sweet woodruff - Periwinkle - Violet - Impatiens - Barren - strawberry - Crocus - Snowdrops - Squills - Daffodils - Yarrow - Butterfly weed - Aster - Black eyed susan - Stonecrop - Bellflowers - Coral bells - Shooting star - Bloodroot Consult with a local nursey for what will work in your zone Would love to see pictures as you omplete your project

Read more at Gardening Know How: How To Garden Beneath A Tree: Types Of Flowers To Plant Under Trees https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/trees/tgen/planting-garden-beneath-trees.htm