What direction is the picture facing? Full sun site? Do you have a picture from farther out to get a better idea of the overall area?

Why has a raised bed been built here? Is there another on the other side of the (what looks like a) sidewalk? The raised bed seems odd here. A bigger-view picture would help.

If it were me, I'd plant something that would trail over the sides, like petunias or vines of some type, to kind of tie the bed to the ground. As it is now, it just looks out of place, plopped on the ground for no reason.

ditto on the need for a picture that shows context.

Thanks for the input. :) The bed is located on the west side of our home. There is also a tree near, so it does receive quite a bit of shade. It gets 1-2 hours of sun later in the afternoon in the summer.

Here are some additional photos. For the first photo, I am standing on the north side of the brick bed.

For the second photo, I am standing on the south side of the bed. The south side is where we sit a lot and so that is why we were looking for may a little privacy added by adding something taller inside, but open to all suggestions. (sorry about the snow) ;)

Iowa Zone 5. :)

Here is a side photo taken while I'm standing on the northwest side.

Hyndrangeas?

Now that makes it look more like it's part of the house!!! :) It pulls it together nicely! Thanks so very much! I truly appreciate it. Sometimes you just need another person to take a look.

I would want to add a wall from the raised bed toward the tree to enclose the area into a private sitting/relaxing area with a pond or flower bed in the grassy area. Maybe put a pretty trellis in the raised bed behind the hydrangeas for a flowering vine to grow up and give more privacy. I could see that part of the yard becoming a big honey-do project.

Great idea about the wall! We sit in that area anyway, so a wall would make us feel like it is more of an outdoor living space. Thanks.

And, a decorative wroght iron gate.

I love "antique" accents! :) Where do you think the decorative wrought iron gate should be placed? Thanks. :)

In the arched opening.

What about layering? At the base of the wall, plant a layer of Daylilies or Hydrangeas. In the box, plant a Lilac or Hydrangea Standard right in the center. Plant a mass grouping to fill up the box using something like Boxwood or Dense Yew.

You could use some narrow and upright shrubs to frame the doorway. Maybe Emerald Cedar, or Upright Junipers? Good luck!

Yours reminds me of a segment of "Fixer Upper" where JoJo took a wall like yours an enhanced it.

Outdoor Living Room, Wilmettte, IL · More Info

Here are a few photos of raised plant bed planting ideas.

Boxwoods and hydranga.

Traditional Patio · More Info

Raised Plant Bed with various plants and bushes.

Creating your own vacation destination · More Info

Raised Plant Beds with carpet roses, black-eyed susan, and greenery.

What plants will grow in your planter will depend on how large it is. I can't really tell how wide the planting area is from the photos. Another thing to consider when deciding on specific plants for this planter is that it will be more exposed to winter temperature extremes than plants in the ground. You'll need to have plants that are a bit hardier than ones in the ground for good survival. So if you do Hydrangeas, consider H. paniculata varieties (such as 'Limelight', 'Quickfire', etc.) which are hardy to zone 3. You could also plant vines on a trellis (perhaps of a material and style to match whatever door or ironwork you put into your archway) such as one of the hardier Clematis. I would also plant some type of groundcover or low-growing perennial to reduce weeding and spill over the planter side and use a fine-textured organic mulch between the plants until the groundcover is established. If you enlarge the bed at the base to totally surround the planter in a relatively wide (5' or 6' at a minimum) planting bed, you can put in a variety of plants that will make the planter look like it is part of a garden. Alternatively, take grass right up to the base of the planter as in Yardvark's illustration. The current thin strip of daylilies looks awkward. Because this is a planter, essentially a large pot, you will need to have a regular schedule of watering and feeding for plants to do well.

Problem you are starting with is that while it is empty it seems to serve no purpose, sits there like an abandoned bathtub or other out of context object that does not relate to other elements present. It could be made an extension of the gate by filling it with uniform evergreen shrubs of sufficient height, such as arborvitaes, yews, hollies or box - whatever is locally adapted and appeals to you personally. Deciduous shrubs like hydrangeas are not architectural or meaty enough to accomplish this.

Thanks everyone! The inside of the bed measures 70x24 inches and it measures about 26 inches tall. The arch and raised bed were built with the home. For me, I also think it looks a little "lost" as it is and that's why I really wanted to fill in it with some perennials that would tie it into the space better. I actually like there though, because it offers a bit of privacy from the very busy road in front our home. I just want to add a little more privacy because in the summer, our lawn furniture sits under the tree behind that raised bed.

I would love to add another wall coming off of it and add a patio to create an actual outdoor space, however, there just isn't a budget for that right now. Thank you so much for all of the plant suggestions; I will take these ideas to a nursery in the spring and get the plants best suited. The gate would be lovely, as well as a trellis with climbing plants and upright shrubs to frame the archway. I also like the grass going up to the base of the planter and adding some color as well. Thanks so much! So many great ideas!