I was thinking maybe some astilbe in the back corner for height behind the rock. Then some heuchera along the sides of the rock. Maybe planting some impatiens or coleus inside the planter holes. I had thought about liriope too, but as I understand it, astilbe likes to stay moist and liriope doesn’t. In fact anytime I’ve ever given liriope supplemental water it seems to have problems. So maybe I need to keep plants together that either like to stay wet or all like to stay dry. Thoughts?

Where ever you decide to use the rock, for it to look at all like it belongs, plant it in the ground so it is about 2/3 buried. Fill the holes with some soil and plant some smaller plants that might be overwhelmed by spreading or larger plants. This will soften the look as well and help it look like it belongs.

You will need to start by prepping the bed:

-remove all the grass and weeds there

-give it a crisp edge as floral mentioned to keep lawn plants out, either a buried masonry strip of some thing such as bricks or a deep cut V along the edge and renewed a couple of times a year

-turn in some compost since the soil along house foundations is often subsoil of some kind.

Go to a good nursery (not just a big box store which doesn’t tend to have folks trained in plants) bringing with you measurements for the space and ask for suggestions for shade-loving plants. Or ask on one or more of the forums that is for your area or on the Perennials forum for plant suggestions.

Mississippi and Louisiana

Southern Gardening

Perennials Forum

some ideas:

Without more information I am guessing that not only does this area receive no sun it is dry and baking hot. A trio of interesting rocks surrounded by small rocks or mulch with a clean edge to lawn could be an easy care solution. Then concentrate your energy to areas more conducive to happy plant growing.

The state of the grass made me think this was sometimes a soggy mud patch. Isn't that a footprint in it? More information would be useful. If it receives no sun I'm puzzled as to how it would be baking hot.

It is a soggy mess for a day or so after it rains. It originally had zoysia sod over it when we had our retaining wall put in below and off to the side of this area. But this corner is too shaded from the house and the zoysia just doesn’t take in this corner. And it’s baking hot cause it’s the south!

That was really cool Dig Doug. What program did you use to do that? What plants are those specifically?

That bare corner is too close to the house to support growth of probably 99% of anything you might want to plant. Don't put any living thing closer than 2' from the house. Farther than 2' is preferable.

It seems that plants in my neck of the woods don't know about that two foot rule.

I would plant one of the lighter colored hostas in the very back. Sum and Substance comes to mine. It is a large colorful one that would really show up. Someone mentioned astilbe. They are really pretty.plop in some impatience. They come in really pretty bright colors. I love rocks in my beds!!