That is a nice confined area. Do you like soft pink? Never plant this suggestion outside a confined area, and be sure you really want it before you plant it: oenothera berlandieri, mexican evening primrose. Warning: the roots spread underground, and it takes a long time to get rid of it (constant hand-pulling) if you decide you don't want it. Mix with pink and turqoise aeoniums or crassulas.

Here is a link that might be useful: Succulent sample

Are you a cook? If so, this might be a good spot for an assortment of herbs...shade tolerant ones at the shaded end and sun lovers out in the open.

Oh, lord--do NOT plant oenetheria. It spreads by seed as well as roots. It must. I've NEVER planted said plant (I know better)...but found it in my garden this spring. My neighbor four houses up has it planted on a slope. I THINK I got it all...time will tell.

What about a strip of dwarf mondo grass (ohphipogon japonicus)? Nice textural difference...neat appearance...and it won't need weeding once it's established...

alternatively--I'd consider extending the pavement or the grass and eliminating that rather awkward bed entirely. In fact, that would be my first choice. It's not really wide enough to be useful. (JMHO!)

melanie

I think the herb idea is a good one. Anything that smells good when it gets brushed up against would be great right there.
Annette

I'm going to agree with bocron and treelover--herbs! The sunny part looks kinda hot, which would make it perfect for them.

It all depends on your taste, and you haven't introduced yourself, only the space. DO you like to cook? Or garden? Do you like certain types of plants? What do you want this strip to do for you - just not cause any trouble (then plant ground cover) or to provide a series of delightful plant-related events (and some maintenance work) through the year? Do you want it to provide shade, or a view screen?

I suspect that in your zone you could make an amazing succulent garden here - echevierias and the like - but you could also do grasses, dwarf conifers (maybe not in your zone....), bulbs, or whatever turns your crank. Or just make it decorative stone. Or get rid of it for that matter.

KarinL

First, I wanted to say "thank you" to all the enthusiastic garden lovers who responded to my post. I didn't know I have a few choices to choose from :).
I'm new at gardening, but full of enthusiasm. Gardening is now my new hobby so I'm trying to change a lot of things in both front and back yard of our house. For some reasons, I don't find succulents very attractive (I hope no one is offended by this). I like cooking, so herb would be a better choice. But I also want to have some colors there too. What kind of plants/flowers would look good there? I don't mind spending a little bit more time to take care of the yard, since we have quite a few roses in other spots of the yard.
Have a beautiful late spring day :)
M

Daylilys are nice and easy-care. There are lots of amazing cultivars available.

Thyme would work there--and not need constant watering. There are a number of cultivars--you could do several different ones. oregano...ditto. Go to your local garden center (NOT a big box--a real gc) and ask for suggestions. Take a picture and measurements with you. Staff will tell you what will grow well where YOU live. (As opposed to Chapel Hill, NC, which is where I live.)

melanie

You can get lots of color with foliage without flowers... there's a deep purple basil, for example, and sage leaves can be blue, yellow oregano, etc.

Agapanthus - Lily of the Nile

I really like the looks and small size of this space very much as an transition between the lawn and patio area! I see one piece of stone in the dirt in your pics, is it laid as a stepping stone to walk through to get to the grass area? I'd suggest maybe getting a few more and spacing them along the length, so you can across over in different places. An herb garden sounds great for this area, as I don't care for the look of succulents either. Along with the herbs don't forget to add companion flowering plants too that are edible, pansies, lavendar, marigold, nasturiums, borage, and roses petals are of course edible if you don't spray. Maybe a small rose such as "Lovely Fairy" could be grown on each end as a standard.

To see pics of our recent gardening and landscaping projects and some of the Roses we grow, ck out my Picture Trail:

careytearose

Here is a link that might be useful: look at Landscaping Projects, Favourite ROSES We Grow albums