My thoughts are less colourful but I would go with potted lemons, thin rocket cypress, lavender for butterflies to dance in or to make a pond with irises. Ponds do require maintenance but everything that's worth having costs blood, sweat and tears IMO. : )
We can take out the brick ends and would then probably have about 50-60cm of soil.
We will consider troughs and pots which will avoid us moving the electrics as the central feature is lit at night from spotlights around the edge of thebed. so filling it with soil completely would mean electrical work.
We have discussed water and roses, but it has to be low maintenance as we have no regular person to tend it (the contractors only cut the grass) and we all have large gardens of our own we struggle to keep on top of (even if they are mainly grass!).
One other thing is that it must be in keeping with the age of the buildings, so no exotics. It is also south facing so gets really hot in the sun. I do wish lavender was on the table. It may have to be as things are going!
Libertia Grandiflora is a wonderful plant, very tough, evergreen, requires little maintenance, and has subtle arching stems of white flowers. It is slowly clump forming, can easily be divided every 3 or 4 years to save on buying too many plants. It would also give you some height. Libertia Peregrinans has similar qualities, but a dramatic orange foliage, although you may find that too exotic for the style of the house. Personally I'd be tempted to plant with one type of grass, perhaps Stipa Tenuissima, to give some movement to all of that formality, plus it's tough as old boots (although a rampant self seeder).
Called in a garden designer. He is recommending removing the grabvel, putting in decent soil then Yew hedging around the inner edge to frame the feature and plantsng with a range of bulbs to give colour across the seasons and reduce maintenance. Waiting for a price.
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My thoughts are less colourful but I would go with potted lemons, thin rocket cypress, lavender for butterflies to dance in or to make a pond with irises. Ponds do require maintenance but everything that's worth having costs blood, sweat and tears IMO. : )
We can take out the brick ends and would then probably have about 50-60cm of soil.
We will consider troughs and pots which will avoid us moving the electrics as the central feature is lit at night from spotlights around the edge of thebed. so filling it with soil completely would mean electrical work.
We have discussed water and roses, but it has to be low maintenance as we have no regular person to tend it (the contractors only cut the grass) and we all have large gardens of our own we struggle to keep on top of (even if they are mainly grass!).
One other thing is that it must be in keeping with the age of the buildings, so no exotics. It is also south facing so gets really hot in the sun. I do wish lavender was on the table. It may have to be as things are going!
Libertia Grandiflora is a wonderful plant, very tough, evergreen, requires little maintenance, and has subtle arching stems of white flowers. It is slowly clump forming, can easily be divided every 3 or 4 years to save on buying too many plants. It would also give you some height. Libertia Peregrinans has similar qualities, but a dramatic orange foliage, although you may find that too exotic for the style of the house. Personally I'd be tempted to plant with one type of grass, perhaps Stipa Tenuissima, to give some movement to all of that formality, plus it's tough as old boots (although a rampant self seeder).
KOG
I love the idea of the Stipa - it would look fabulous 
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
Called in a garden designer. He is recommending removing the grabvel, putting in decent soil then Yew hedging around the inner edge to frame the feature and plantsng with a range of bulbs to give colour across the seasons and reduce maintenance. Waiting for a price.