The New Dimention Salvia can flop in the summer heat, and it needs regular watering and deadheading to have repeat blooms. If it flops, it won't accentuate the sculpture. I would plant a colorful Lantana around the sculpture instead. A Lantana would soften the sharpness of the sculpture. Lantana bloom better with deadheading, but they dont look as bad as Salvias, when they're not deadheaded. A purple Lantana would blend nicely with your other choices. What kind of a arrangement are you planning for the mounding Sedum and Lithodora, and the mounding plants with upright flowers like Armeria and Dianthus, and finally the Homestead Verbena, (Glandularia canadensis) that will spill over the sides if planted near the edges?

What about a themed garden? White/night garden or butterfly garden?

Choose something that will look good year-round. I suggest a ground cover of some sort, preferably one that is native to your area.

What time of day did you take that picture? I'm asking because though you said it gets full sun all day I see a significant portion (looks to be about 1/4) of the planting area in shade. How long does it stay in shade and is it shady in the morning or in the afternoon? Those considerations will also determine what plants will do well there.

Did you consider mulching the area and adding a couple of benches to use it as a gathering space?

Consider keeping the surround simple as you don't want to take away from the centerpiece. I found this photo for your consideration: Yucca filamentosa Color Guard on the edge and Russian Sage.

Jay, I wanted to use the salvia around the base, but thanks for your info about them possibly withering. The sun in my yard is intense. I didn't necessarily want to use all of the other plants. I was trying to decide on perhaps 3 colors that would complement each other. Also, I wanted to have medium sized plants in the middle and the shorter ones in the front. I wanted to select those that would hopefully spread so I would not have to purchase a ton.

Rob, a garden to attract butterflies would be great! A friend had mentioned that I might be successful with lantana. I was hoping to use perennials.

Yvonne, my only concern about the groundcovers is that I heard that mosquitoes like them as well as the legless critters. Ugh!

Hope, it was a cloudy day. There is full sun all day long.

Cecily, there is a covered porch with seating in front of the area. It is scorching hot in July and August in Georgia without the shelter.

Elcieg, I love the sage and the yucca. I have had yucca, but it did not make it through the winter.

You might want to consider goldilocks creeping jenny as a ground cover. It survives the heat, and the color is charming with other plants. Golden moss sedum is also a viable ground cover in a sunny location, and I doubt very many things could hide in the sedum. The creeping jenny will crowd out other plants, but I have had luck with Stella D'Oro dayliles in my creeping jenny bed. David tall phlox is very hardy and fungus resistant. I just planted some in my sunny garden. Phlox likes to mutiply, and it flowers all summer. I also suggest lavender. It smells heavenly.

I think any busy flowering plants will take a way from the star of the space I would look into a nice cround cover thta stays green even is full sun and nothing tall. Check at the garden center they can help better than we can

I'd first add a 9-15" base to raise the piece for better impact.

Ballerina Indian Hawthorn would make a good fountain plant. It has pink blooms in late winter early spring and then again in fall. They grow 2-3 ft high and 3-4 feet wide.

Bay Breeze Hawthorn is about the same height, but spreads 4-6 feet wide. They have many varies of Hawthorn plant.

They would pair well with purple, white, yellow, and red.

I noted that you are in Georgia and that area gets full sun; have you considered watering requirements. If you like the idea of a hardscape, you could add stone with an interesting parameter and don’t forget lighting.

There's always a butterfly plant you can substitute for things. Like phlox subulata instead of lantana. Etc. why not have something else to look at while you're sitting there? I love the sculpture!