I'd use natural rock if possible. How deep is the bed behind it... you could plant up with lots of low creeping/trailing plants.

i agree moon grower . it would be nice if you got a choice of rocks including the odd big pebble.i know they are pricey like that but its such a small area it would be worth it.

Low creeping and trailing plants sound good - any suggestions what types?The soil you can see behind is on a slight bank so I would have to set the rocks into it which would not be too much of a problem, I do have some sandstone rocks going spare but not many, also living by the sea pebbles are easy to find. Thanks

Hi James, I think setting the rocks into the bank would look great, be careful removing stone from the beach it is illegal. If you live anywhere near a farmer they will probably have stone piled in the corner of their field which they are usually more than delighted to let you take away it is how we got a lot of the rocks for our garden :-).

On the plant front try: lobelia, aubretia, creeping phlox, thyme, arinaria, creeping Jenny, Cornus Canadensis, Lonicera Maygreen, Pachysandra terminalis, sedum spathifolium (we could even send you a piece of this).

Then you need some small bulbs for early spring colour - snowdrops, various iris reticulata such as Katherine Hodgkins, Harmony, Pauline, Gordon, Edward, George and Sheila Ann German; Crocus chrysanthus which is smaller than the Dutch crocus - Advance (peachy yellow inside, violet outside), Blue Pearl (pale lavender blue), Cream Beauty (soft creamy yellow), Goldilocks (canary yellow), Lady Killer (deep violet purple outside, white inside, pointed petals), Prins Claus (white with dark purple blotches on outside) Snowbunting (white with yellow centre), Zwanenburg Bronze (bronze with yellow); you could also have some of the very small narcissus such as Bulbacodium, Midget, Rupicola. I've probably given you far to many names and suggestions but you can pick and choose what to use from the list.

Just remember to post a pix or two once you are done.