Paulflyboy: No I wouldn't just put that little bump out like that. That's what it looks like a bump out. I would bring it over to the flower pot near the door or go the other way to the corner. If you went from the right side of the first window on the left to the corner you could make the second tier lower and camouflage the slope. Once you have plants in there you won't notice how much the wall dips. A good thing to do is try different configurations with the garden hose so you can see the line in actuality,until you get one that you like and flows well

I need a suggestion to fill the area next to our front steps. It's on the southeast corner of the house. We are on the edge of zone 3 and 4. The shrub will be planted next to 3 existing yellow/green hostas and one of the main things you see as you are walking up to our porch. It should be no more than ~3-4ft at max height. So what's a really nice shrub that would fit this area? Thanks!!

How nice of you all to comment on my bed after all this time! I am actually in the process of redoing it. As I am sure you all know.......fighting weeds is a full time job. This is a square bed that is in back of my horse barn - one side backs up against the barn, and you can barely see the boards for the horse pen at the back - one side faces the concrete area back of barn and the fourth side is edged in big rocks. I am keeping the same look, but tired of fighting weeds behind the birdbath, so am edging all that with metal edging and am edging it with giant lirope then putting in river rock in the middle. Am enclosing the front of the bed, that has the flowers, in the metal edging and the flowering look will remain pretty much the same. I have alot of areas to garden in, and have had alot more responsibilities the last several years - aging parent who broke a hip a year ago and who passed away in May, grandchildren, and dealing with 2 other homes [one which will close soon], and all my horses, dogs/cats and chickens, and have found it harder to keep up with the weeding. So......to maintain the neat look I desire - figured the smart thing to do was not try to do the huge beds I had been keeping up with - landscape with easier "fixes" like greenery, rocks, while still maintaining the look I love. Since that photo in 2018 I had alot of work done around the place including my 70th birthday gift to myself - a garden cottage. I just adore it, and am having so much fun with it. I have a raised bed and other narrow beds and the cottage is surrounded by small river rock which is super easy to keep - very, very few weeds pop up. Always looks neat because I dont have large expanses of flower beds. Dont have any photos of it right now, but am decorating it for fall and will post some, as well as of the other bed when I get it completed. Thank you for asking about it! Judith

Portulaca/ moss rose functions as an annual here and so would not be present in winter. As it currently stands, I think this bed needs some winter interest. It also likes a relatively dry setting, so I am not sure how it would do with the clay base. It is a beautifu plant.