New build house, can anyone help me decide what plants to put in a long narrow bed?

[Linguaphile]

Hello, we are nearing completion on a new build house and I have this little flowerbed (pictured) running along our driveway that I’d like to use to give the space some life! I have no idea what to put there really, aside from having seen what lots of other people seem to do in our area.

I was toying with the idea of maybe a mix of box shrubs with lavendar. Would that be really boring?? Is anyone a keen garden designer who wants to give some ideas of what I could do or should do that would be hardy and look good all year round?

Is it better to use wood chips or stones as a ground cover? And do I need a weed barrier? How do I prep the soil?

Thanks!

Where in the country are you? Which way does the bed face? What kind of soil is it, is it just developers top soil?

Cute house, btw. I assume it is all open glazing at the back?

We’re in Luxembourg! I told the developer not to put the topsoil in as I wanted to put sand at the bottom and then compost (as per my neighbour’s suggestion) but alas they didn’t pass on the memo and it was filled in yesterday morning. :( I have no idea what the soil is like, though we’re in the forest with loads of greenery, so presumably not too hostile to plant life?

Yes actually the house is built into the side of a large hill (we’re in the ardennes) so the entrance is a bit deceptive as it sort of drops about three stories down the back! It’s just lots of glazing with balconies/terraces on the back side.

Oh, and the front is southeast facing, so it does get quite a lot of sun.

It is fab. I like the idea of clean lines from box. I also like bamboo but you might not want the height from that. The modern look of a black stalked bamboo (Phyllostachys nigra) would look great with the graphic clean lines of the building. Not sure the bed is wide enough though.

Interesting about the bamboo! Would that survive winter and stay looking decent year round??

I like the idea of boxes as they are indeed tidy and clean-lined. Would you suggest just plain ones or maybe Christmas box plants so there’s a bit of scent in winter? And do you think lavendar is too ambitious?

I was going to say bamboo. I have no idea about plants from a gardeners perspective but my neighbour just got it in against our joint fence and it’s so mesmerising and calming watching it sway in the breeze! Though I think you need to be careful what type you choose so it’s not too aggressive

Bamboo does look fairly good all year round but does grow quickly and can take over, so be prepared for that. If the winter weather is cold or the spot very exposed bamboo can lose foliage (which comes back in spring) but generally they are evergreen. They like being fed and watered in summer but left to their own devices in winter.

Interesting, I’ll look into the bamboo then. Would it be best on its own or mixed in with something else?

It’s actually not as shallow as it looks—I had them cement and pave around the area, so the soil is about a foot deep. Not sure if that makes a difference?

It’d give the best graphic effect alone, it has foliage all the way from the base to the top of the stems so you shouldn’t have gappy bits at the bottom to fill. If you want to mulch with something like shale, bark or whatever for weed suppression and moisture retention, that’d also help.