A 2 foot bed is an annual bed, unless you're going to plant a boxwood or something that you can constantly shear to fit.

Nice stonework.

A 2-foot bed is tiny. Hydrangeas do not belong in a tiny bed. Pick a nice groundcover instead, something that might sprawl just a bit. I am not familiar with Canada growing seasons - go to a local reputable nursery and ask them what groundcover would work. Once established, they are almost no-care.

unrelated, but are you doing railings? Our standard is "designed for the third glass of wine" and that's really... not.

ideas:

Thanks...what are the plants? cardonna sylvia, lilac dwarfs and some sort of runyan yew?

Also, how did you add the plants into the shot?

Blue Fortune Agastache, Scabiosa & Koshyi Dwarf Cryptomeria

I use Realtime Architect software.

Easy to keep in bounds.

by trimming you mean?

yes, extremely easy to keep at 2' x 18"...I have a bunch in my yard.

We would only use containers in an area such as this.

One of the primary elements behind good landscape design is selecting and siting plants that are size-appropriate for the location without the need for constant attention. A 2' wide planting area is not anywhere close to sufficient to layer plants. And virtually all shrubs and even 95% of perennials will exceed a 2' width in very short order!! Stick to the annuals or groundcovers as suggested previously.

A small mounding grass like pennisetum or Hakone grass would work and provide some winter interest.

Thanks, a designer recco'd just having runyan yews, or maybe it was coral bells as well. Hmmm...

Taxus x media 'Runyan' will be 3-4' tall and 4-6' wide with a spreading habit. Much too large for this location. The coral bells/huechera could work, though. Most only get to about 18-24" across under the best of conditions.

ETA: the hakone grass wiill disappear in winter. It is entirely herbaceous and doesn't even need to be cut back in spring like other grasses. Any remaining dead blades will just fall away.

Think of these as two large in ground flower pots just like the ones on your porch. Your job is to make Flower Arrangements in them that are timed to bloom in the seasons you are out on the porch the most. Much easier to do in your compressed growing seasons. I would use herbaceous perennial plants instead of annuals unless you like the idea of changing things up every year. The number of flowering perennials to choose from is endless. You can seriously make an arrangement of almost any kind from simple to very complex. Remember there is more than just the flower, form and texture are big components of a good arrangement.

Beds of herbaceous perennials won't fit neatly in a box. That is a good thing. There are enough smaller choices so it won't get out of scale. It will be billowy. I think billowy will help soften all that hard stone. The maintenance would entail keeping your arrangement fluffed in season, then cutting it all down at some point before it wakes back up in the spring.

So think Flower Arrangement and go have a look at Wild Flower Farms catalog in Coldwater Ontario for some ideas. In this case I would get plants and not seed, but you can see what will grow just fine for you with no fuss. I feel certain Toronto is choke full of good local nurseries.

Have you been to Garden Walk Buffalo or Niagara Falls (Canadian side, much nicer), both are flower bonanzas in season. Look them up for inspiration.

Or if you like, this will take you on a three day private garden tour of Toronto gardens.

Have fun!