What should I do with my front garden?

[GoldOrca]

As in the title really. I have no idea what to do with this tiny patch of space in front of my house. I have 2 new small rosebushes closest to the house that I'm hoping in time will grow up the wall. Other than that, please give me some ideas!

It's north-east facing, heavy clay soil (lots of worms though) and I'm in south central Scotland. I'd like something a bit wild, cottagey, whimsical, not too formal and not hugely high maintenance due to health issues. Thanks!

Ferns, heuchera and foxgloves

Hellebores; pulmonaria; brunnera; ferns

Are the roses actually climbing roses? They look far too closely planted to the wall and will need a structure to climb (eg wires to tie them into).

Lavender works well at the foot of roses but probably won't like your clay soil and NE aspect too much. If you dug in a lot of grit they might do ok though.

Some good plant ideas, though I doubt lavender would be happy. Some geraniums (eg Roseanne or a sanguinium) are good under roses.

wild, cottagey, whimsical - lovely as that style is, I don't think you've got space for it, and that artless look can be quite high maintenance!

I'd probably add some small shrubs such as euonymus for year round colour and shape. And - as it's currently got a good selection of, um, wildflowers, you should get out as many as possible and then mulch (maybe woodchip) to help keep them under.

Yeah foliage heavy shade lovers - heucheras, ferns, lamium, brunnera, lungwort etc and a smattering of spring bulbs if you can fit them in

If you've a back garden - presumably south west facing - then maybe have some pots with bulbs, and other seasonally interesting plants you can swap in?

Thanks for all the helpful replies! I'd love lots of foliage and as evergreen as I can make it. I think I will definitely order some ferns and some woodchips for mulch, just considering other woodland floor type plants now since it's shady and damp.

Wild strawberry.

www.kew.org/plants/wild-strawberry

Will roses get enough sunlight there?

I would replace them with evergreen shrubs and then some of the woodland suggestions by pps.

Erythronium, wood anenome, cyclamen. Any wood land ground cover plant under the tree.

As well as things already suggested (ferns, hellebores, erythronium, wood anemones etc), epimedium have the most magical, whimsical flowers and wonderful foliage. I'd add Solomon's Seal, kirengshoma palmata, angelica, sweet cicely, disporum, violets, snake's head fritillaries, camassia. So many lovely woodland plants fit your wild/cottagey/whimsical vibe.