I cannot see the picture really well, but it looks like it might work for a kind of secret Garden. Although I have a niece in Denver, I haven't talked to her about what grows there. I know www.highcountrygardens.com has plants that are for your area. They have some good ideas. When you want to xeriscape, do you mean you want that to be a low watering area? What I found has helped me is that I look at the space and try to imagine the colors, shapes and sizes of plants I want...combine that with the amount of sun and how much water it will get. Then I have a good idea what I am looking for before going to the nursery. It might also help to start from the back (taller plants) and work forward...kind of like painting a picture. I used to go to the nursery and pick plants I liked, then got home and had no place to put them! Study the shape and color of plants you like, then take it to the nursery and ask if they have one with sim shape and colors that would work in your situation. I am sorry I cannot suggest specific plants. I am in Southern CA and we are Hot & Dry and I have alot of sun! One plant that I would love to put in a Rock Garden like setting is a Mugo Pine... it is such an interesting looking shrub. Maybe an Alpine looking Rock Garden would look good? Another direction... if you added a decorative Arbor and maybe something like a Clematis... would the plant get sun, as it climbed? There are alot of varieties and the roots like shade and the rest likes sun. With it being a fairly shady area, you way want bright colors or at least some bright green or yellow folliage to brighten it up. Another thing I have learned is that low water use and drought tollerant are 2 differant things. Others may laugh and think I am silly for not realizing this, but as a beginner (which I feel I will always be...as I keep learning new things) it has me confused. It really looks like it will be a pretty little corner when you are done. One more thing...a flagstone path would be cute...be sure to have a focal point (Bright flowers, sculpture, bench)at the end. They always look better if the look like they are taking you someplace interesting

Well we are working on the small area this weekend. I have gotten it graded and ready to go. In fact getting ready to go to Lowes right now! Will post pics when done. Figured on tackling one project at a time. Yes the stuff on the side yard will be put away or disposed of. I always try to reuse things before trashing them. So some of the cement pieces are being used to fill in an area that needs to be leveled. Toodles, L

Violet you've been so helpful to me on this thread! Pictures help me so much to envision things! I've been following this because I too have a hot, tiny yard. Crekha, I think Violet is on to something by extending the patio beyond the roof. Envisioning two spaces instead of three separate ones. So the brick from the patio melds with the path along the garden and out. That would make it look larger simply because it wasn't chopped up into three separate surfaces. Also loved the idea of a low fence with a gate to add two separate "rooms." And the use of the big pots with big plants instead of the little ones. Put your little pots on an outdoor etagier.

Thanks all - these responses are so helpful! I love the idea of referencing older houses. I’ve driven around the historic homes in my neighborhood here, and it’s true that there aren’t many foundation plants besides the occasional boxwood - likely put in more recently than 1907! The pecans are actually part of an orchard. I always thought it was odd that we had these 2 perfectly placed pecans, similar to how builders put in a starter tree on either side of the sidewalks in new tract homes! Turns out that the trees were here well before the house! I suspect they were planted in the mid-1800s. Good info about the bulbs under pecans. I though about agapanthus as well, but I think that would require a lot of digging and....ugh! Clay soil and rocks are breaking my back! Love the 2 renderings! I wish I could bump my tree out farther to the right, but the electric lines run right over that corner, plus that’s our drainage area for the backyard. Eventually we may do a dry creek situation over there. Not authentic to the house, but sometimes preventing standing water wins out. ;)