By 'under the sage' I mean between and around the bases of the sage plants.. When the bulbs start blooming they will be under where the top growth of the sage is (or was, before you cut it back...) The early crocuses may be mostly finished blooming by the time you cut the sage back, but the anemones bloom a bit later so they are visible after the sage is cut back. When you buy the bulbs in the fall, look for crocuses that say 'mid season' or 'late' if you can find them, so they will still be in bloom after the sage is cut back. Crocuses and Anemone Blanda are easy to find in bulk bags in 'big box' stores in the fall so they are relatively inexpensive. You could buy a wide variety of small bulbs. Check the recommended planting depth and buy ones with the same planting depth required. Then you can mix them all together in a bucket and choose a bulb at random when you plant them. That way you get a nice natural mix of colors and shapes. The small bulbs only need to go a couple of inches deep so are easier to plant than tulips and daffodils that need to go at least 6" deep! Plant lots of the little bulbs for a good display. You could use any (bigger) rocks you dig up as a low ornamental wall at the base of the slope. Thyme looks good spilling over rocks. When you plant, I'd be inclined to place things like daylilies and other perennials, and potentilla shrubs (if you're planting them) first. Then plant thyme on the lower 1/3-1/4 of the slope. Then fill in at the top and around the shrubs and perennials with the sage. Thyme looks good spilling out from under the sage. If it is planted in between the sage plants, the sage might shade it a bit too much. If the thyme is happy, it will move into vacant spaces on its own. Garlic and/or onion chives are nice ornamental and edible additions that can be tucked into a few places. Beware though of more aggressive spreading herbs like mints and oregano (a mint relative) because they will spread from the roots as well as seed a round. Beware of Lemon Balm for the same reason. Do you have kids? Kids tend to like the herb scents. You might want to add a plant or two of lemon thyme and orange-scented thyme. They are less vigorous than ordinary thyme so it's best to limit them to just a couple of fun specimens and let the ordinary thyme be the groundcover.

Can't see the paving well enough to tell it's condition. I like the idea of a courtyard-like area, but have issues with how the existing walk and paving is laid out. Would keep a semi-open feel since it is the front and you probably want to keep the look "inviting" to passersby. My ideas in the plan are based on a single picture. With full knowledge of the actual space it might call for adjustments and alterations in order to develop something that works well. The second version has the railing. There are innumerable opportunities for adding detail.

So your house is the one barely visible on the left in the second photo and you are wanting some separation from the neighbor to the right? In the first photo, I t looks like there is a drainage swale between the two homes, and so you cannot do any plantings or fence that will interfere with that. So whatever you do will need to far enough from the swale so that at maruity, it isn’t an issue. You want to start with thinking about your goals. It sounds like you want low maintenance from your initial post, but still green. You also want low water. Are there any times when watering plantings is forbidden? If so, plant choices need to accommodate that. You don’t like seeing you neighbor’s house, but it is unrealistic to expect to block the whole thing on a property your size. So put some thought into what really bothers you: seeing into uncurtained windows or a pile of old rusty stuff or a particular area with poor maintenance or kids’ toys left all over or an unkempt lawn or the view as you enter your driveway or . . . What bugs you will influence the height and density of what you choose to plant. Is there an HOA that you need to get approval from? If so, have you checked out the type of rules you need to conform to? How long have you lived here? Often preferences change after a few months or a year, so if you are new here, I would certainly spend a few months taking photos of the things you want to address and looking at online photos and info about yards in your area to get a feel for what you do like. This will be important whether you are a DIY person or plan to hire someone. You also want to get the existing plants IDed so you know if they are suited to the space and your goals.

Would move the agave beneath the window to the right side of the window, hopefully maintaining some sense of symmetry. Then center whatever decorative feature you add in front of the window. Consider an inexpensive basic DIY bench the same width as the window -- one ttat could be used for sitting or could be used for setting potted plants atop it. https://www.google.com/search?q=basic+DIY+porch+bench&tbm=isch&ved=2ahUKEwj2gu7O2aDpAhUDM1MKHQa1DbQQ2-cCegQIABAA&oq=basic+DIY+porch+bench&gs_lcp=CgNpbWcQDDoECAAQQzoCCAA6BggAEAcQHjoICAAQBxAFEB46CAgAEAgQBxAeULm5AliT3AJguuoCaABwAHgAgAFjiAHcBpIBAjEwmAEAoAEBqgELZ3dzLXdpei1pbWc&sclient=img&ei=tnGzXvbPEIPmzAKG6ragCw&bih=648&biw=1358&client=firefox-b-1-d With the same wood as your bench, you could create an arbor over your window at fascia h eight and you could attach a few hanging baskets to it that could help shade your window, along with any plants you set atop the bench. Or you create a bench or swing within an arbor. For your yard, consider a plain concrete bird bath that could be seen from your bench or from within the house via the window. They can be painted. https://www.google.com/search?q=plain+concrete+bird+bath&client=firefox-b-1-d&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjI_uy92KDpAhUmnOAKHfxHAcwQ_AUoAnoECA4QBA&biw=1358&bih=648#imgrc=dsz70E8M3SUeNM&imgdii=iZqdglX3zjCO3M