With that low porch, I wouldn't use anything but very low groundcovers. And I'd make the curve full, not with those little dips on each side.

the only thing that happens to a full sun plant in some shade.. is that it grows slower ..

and as noted above.. that would be fine with me ... why hide that stonework???

ken

the only thing that happens to a full sun plant in some shade.. is that it grows slower ..

I don't know where you got this idea, ken, but that is not accurate. In fact, the opposite is often the case.

If you have two sun-adapted plants of matched species, size and vigor, and then plant one in full sun and the other in a less sunny location, the one that receives more sun will frequently grow to be more compact and smaller than the one that receives less sun.

Perfect spot for a weeping japanese maple, but they may not be hardy for you.

I'm not a gardener by any sense of the word, but when I read your post and saw your picture, the first thing that came to my mind was Japanese Maple. They're so pretty and as you can see below, they can really add interest to a flower bed like yours.