West facing front garden ideas

[TiddleTaddleTat]

I have had to give up on my unrealistic idea of a rockery in our front garden as all the rain lately has made me realise that it would need lots of work to get drainage decent, is level, heavy clay soil, and only gets direct sunlight between around 2-6pm.

There is already a lovely acer that will stay. Edges are landscaped with pretty ugly brick laid into cement. There are brown pebbles on top of a landscape fabric at present.

Was thinking perhaps a couple of shrubs in the ground and pots with bulbs? Ideas so far...
Shrubs :
daphne
hebe (pink elephant)
hydrangea aspera

Other ideas for low maintenance mix of evergreen and perennials?

On a low budget...

[MereDintofPandiculation]

If it's not very well drained, think of things like Astilbe, Rodgersia.