Looking for some advice on an impending landscaping job. We are looking to remove the grass (in the pictures it looks very healthy but after a fall and winter the sod had dried up and died!)

Open to pretty much doing ANYTHING with that small space in front of the house. Looking for advice on low maintenance perennials that I could plant and or appropriate ground cover (FYI we are in Southern Ontario so zone 6a to be specific and the space gets indirect sun in the morning and afternoon shade)

Also open to changing up the brown decking (it didn't winter well and was actually quite slippery with ice and snow)