What to do with this space?

[Coffee62]

Hi, we just had a huge Leylandii tree removed in this space. The stump is still visible - I’ve put a plant pot on top of it as you can see. I’m not too fussed about getting the stump out, it’s very wide and deep and I think would take a lot of work. I’m almost picturing a little corner area with shrubs at the back, a little fence in front, and flowers growing inside. Maybe some stepping stones leading up to it? Any ideas? Thank you

Image under review

It will be hard to dig with the stump and roots still there. I would cover the whole area in cardboard and dump a load of mulch on top to try to get the stump to rot down ASAP and maybe plant some stuff in spring or next autumn.

If not for the stump Id plant a Japanese maple Acer Bloodgood - red foliage - underplanted with Spiraea Plumtastic and maybe a pink David Austin rose of some sort.

Given the stump id go Fosythia underplanted with Geranium Rozanne and Achillea Moonshine. All pretty tough.

I wouldn’t fence it off - that’d look a bit odd, like it’s a pet cemetery! Is there a mound there - you mention steps up? It looks pretty level but if not, I’d level it off, make it part of a bigger planting area and just work round the stump - you won’t be able to plant anything very deep at the moment because of the roots.

The whole area will be very dry and hard to dig into. I'd make it bigger, put sleepers in and make a raised bed and fill it with good top soil. Then your options aren't so limited. If you don't want to do that (I'd still make the bed bigger) then a forsythia or buddlea are both good shouts and find stuff that likes dry shade....

Corner pergola maybe?

https://www.hboak.com/store/p/corner-pergola

Not worth planting anything long term while the stump is still alive. I'd speed up the rotting of the stump by drilling in some Ecoplugs (very targeted contained glyphosate which will also kill the roots without poisoning the soil around it)
https://www.progreen.co.uk/ecoplug-max-100-plugs-prevent-tree-stump-regrowth/ Check there how many you need (I'm guessing 20 max) and buy the right amount on eBay.

Leylandi will not grow back from a stump so there is no need to do this. To quicken rotting, drilling holes in the stump so that water can sit there and help the rot is the cheapest solution.

OP the Leylandi has probably taken up a load of nutrients so what I would do is put a layer of manure down or failing that, some bought nutrient rich topsoil or compost over it for now, and plant your main shrubs in november ready for next spring.

Get a lovely lavatera they fill
a
space nicely, have loads of flowers and the bees love them x

Thank you for all the replies so quickly. In regards to the fence I was meaning something little and decorative like attached image, not a full blown fence!
I said steps when what I actually meant was decorative stepping stones, apologies.

I will definitely be raking all the soil and mixing in compost as the soil is very compacted and dry.

Build up pebbles and large decorative rocks to make a rockery. No digging required. The rockery plants will cope with the dry conditions.
Add a bird bath and some ground-cover plants with winter berries, such as Cotoneaster, for additional wildlife interest.
Perhaps use the stump to position a low solar spotlight or two to highlight some of the rockery features.

I wouldn't plant anything much there yet. Leylandii suck the living bejasus out of the soil, and it will be bone dry and completely lacking in any nutrients.

What I'd suggest for now is covering the entire area with landscape bark, put a nice round slab on the tree stump and put a plant in a pot on it, and use the rest of it for a seating area while the ground recovers.