What to plant in this border?

[Cleopatra2022]

I have a border that runs along the front of my house. It’s west facing and my car is parked in front of it so there’s not tons of sunshine.
I had lavender for a few years but dug it all up as it became a mass of brown twigs. I’d like something quite low maintenance, attractive and something good for bees if possible.
Any suggestions?

Sounds like a good spot where you could grow almost anything. What's the soil like? Wondering if, as there was lavender previously, the soil may be stoney /well drained?

What do you mean by low maintenance? Watering? Pruning? Deadheading? A lawn is considered low maintenance to lots of people but to me it's high maintenance as you need to get the lawn mower out which I find a faff (and I'd personally much prefer a little deadheading of some pretty flowers instead)

What about a herb bed with varying heights? Some low spreading ones at the front and taller ones like lemon balm at the back

Cottage border? We have one with lupins, aquilegia, poppies, lots of forget me nots, small roses, wild geranium, geums, anemones etc and it's full of colour and bees for much of spring and summer.

You could replant new lavender and just prune it back each year so it doesn't become woody and bedraggled.

I have something similar by a hedge, about 15ft x 3ft and facing N.. I sometimes have to drive ( a little ) onto it to turn the car. I’ve planted it with all sorts of small low growing, hardy plants, bulbs in spring, primroses, Persicaria, vinca and Crainsbill geraniums. If I see something suitable in the reduced plant section, that goes in as well!

There are various bushes with spikes and pretty flowers, that go on to become berries in the autumn / winter. If you plant them in front of windows then you get natural burglar-proofing.
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Cotoneaster is easy and grows fast (so might need the pruning shears every now and then) but it's amazing for bees.

Also climbers like honeysuckle to go up the house to get to the sunshine above the cars.

Shrubs are low maintenance like sarcoccoca and viburnum. These don't grow so massive that they disturb house footings too.

Can you do an arch over the front door (rose is the obvious one). That way the plant will be above car-height and so still get some sun. Hide the lower growth with some under-planting that can survive low light-levels.

x-post!
note to self : must type quicker

Nepeta (cat mint) or salvia?

@AlwaysLatte

Cottage border? We have one with lupins, aquilegia, poppies, lots of forget me nots, small roses, wild geranium, geums, anemones etc and it's full of colour and bees for much of spring and summer.

That sounds lovely latte!

So many fab ideas - thanks!

Soil is clay but has stones on the top and a fabric membrane in a futile attempt to prevent weeds.

By low maintenance I mean something I can water and leave to it’s own devices. I tend to weed the drive once a year and then forget about it.

If you're looking for something very low maintenance, plant a row of hebe 'Emerald Gem' alternating with daylily.
This hebe keeps it's neat globe shape and grows slowly to a 30cm mound.
The daylily is tough and easy to grow in sun or partial shade. It has a leaf that will provide an interesting contrast in between the hebe. It's flowers are beautiful, come in lots of colours and bloom all summer.

Both plants are exceptionally low maintenance once established.
The hebe does not require any pruning to keep it's shape.
The daylily will simply need dividing into a smaller clump once every 3 or 4 years if it outgrows its allotted space and gets too dense (It will stop flowering if this happens).

Euronymous EmeraldandGold alternated with ornamental grasses - I have this, the grass only grows about a foot high, with red margins (trying to remember the name). In the gaps I have allium spherocephalon (sp?) - drumstick allium. It has small round reddish purple heads like drumsticks, and is absolutely covered in bees in summer. Also some species tulips, and some harebells and welsh poppies which have turned up.
Apart from trimming bits off the Euronymous occasionally, and pulling out the dead grass in spring, it looks after itself.

The grass might be bloodgrass - Red Baron.
But if you like lavender, my neighbours trim theirs down to about 6" every winter. I don't know how it survives such brutal treatment but it springs back to life every year, and never gets too big or twiggy. I suppose if you do that from year one it's ok.

I've got forsythia out the front-all it needs is pruning occasionally.

I think if you do have lavender you have to accept it needs replacing regularly (every 6 years of so) and hard pruning every year. I still struggle to keep mine from going woody.

Love the idea of the grasses and hebe though!