Very Sunny spot!

I have hopefully managed to upload a photograph of the front of my house, and am hoping that there are experts out there who can give me a bit of advice.
Even though the space looks awful at the moment, it did look really good last year as I had a seven year old hebe growing at the base of these shrubs. Everything that you can see in the photo was planted seven years ago when the house was new and I have always loved them (even though the one on the left has REALLY sharp needles!). You can actually see where the hebe used to grow, by the bare patch on the grass...which I have cut today, can I just add!)
Last Winter, the hebe was killed off by the snow and now I am just thinking of taking up what is there and replanting to create a more attractive (and needleless) space.
From about 8am in the morning, this spot gets the full sun, until about midday when the Sun goes around the back of the house. I have to leave the window open for most of the day as it is the only point of entry into the house that my cat will use to come and go! (So much for the £300 installation fee for a cat flap in toughened glass - grrr...)
Basically what I would like to know is whether anyone can suggest suitable shrubs that would like this spot (the Sun until about midday...) I just love shrubs, whatever they may be...and am willing to go on the hunt at the local Garden Centres to find anything that is suggested.
My plan is, to dig them up on Sunday and then go and find the plants to put in...which then leads to the question of..."Is it alright to plant them out now, at this time of the year?"
Many thanks to anyone that can suggest anything to me. I willl then probably put bark around the base to make it look all nice and pretty!!! lol Many thanks...
Mark

 

Thanks for that! I have googled this plant...which I know I have seen in Garden Centre...and this definitely could be a possibility...
It says that it is very hardy and good for 'problem areas' . This sounds good as I am not sure exactly how much soil depth I have near to the house, what with bricks, foundations etc...(does that sound stupid??)
Will it be ok to plant this now, at this time of the year...

Any more suggestions would be fantastic..esp plants WITHOUT needles!!!! lol
Right off to work now...then time to get busy. I have decided that I am going to buy some nice 'bricks' to edge the border where grass meets soil. I take it that I just need to 'plop' them into the ground and they will settle themselves??? I don't sound very knowledgeable, do I?

 

A Choisya would love it there. Easily found in most garden centres (try places like Homebase or B&Q before you pay 'garden centre' prices) although even in a garden centre they're usually fairly inexpensive - can be planted now - easy to care for - not too fast growing - easily pruned, so it can grow as big or small as you wish - evergreen (mine's a 'sundance' so tends to have yellowish/green foliage - well yellow on newer leaves which slowly turn green, if you get my point) - clusters of small white flowers, mine's just coming into flower now, but even the leaves have a slight citrus scent. Oh, and no needles!

 

Thank you very much for the suggestion there. If you actually look at the photograph, there is in fact ( I think) a Choisya on the very left...it looks really shabby though as I have just hacked it back as the snow also did damage to it.
I do really love it though and so I think that I am going to go with both plants suggested to me and plant up the area with these, putting bark on top to make it look good (I hope)
I will put up a photo when I am done (prob get it all finished by end of next weekend!
Went out today and have bought new spade, fork, edging tool...and ready to go in the morning...early start for me!
Thanks once again!
Mark

 

Now, I wondered about that and thought, is that a Choisya? Then I thought, no, I think that's an Euonymous. So ...... guess what else I'd suggest!!

 

Right, am off to B and Q and GC to see if I can find the three plants mentioned...then back to start sorting it all out...will post a pic after I am done! Wish me luck..wonder how many times I am going to be 'needled' taking up that existing plant!

 

Lovely cistus wiseoldowl,I must get another, mine survived the winter fine then came home at the end of a really windy day and found it uprooted and halfway across the garden:-(

 

Well, here is stage 1 finished! I went out with a list of plants and they were all easy to find. B and Q was shut, so I went to a local garden centre (which I really love as the prices are what I consider to be reasonable).
My existing plants came up really easily (felt a bit sad really) and then I put in the cistus, choisya and the euonymous. The only thing I need to do now is to buy some edging (I want small block paving 'squares' which I can easily curve round my edge) and I also think that I am going to put on some bark to help protect my soil from my cats! Note the stepping stone, which should hopefully form a base from which my cat can leap up into the window!
All I want to ask now is, do you think, once I have edged and barked, I need any more plants in this area, or will these fill out over the next couple of years or so?
I am SO grateful for the suggestions put forward by you all and I am really pleased with the results so far. The peat all over the grass is where I have tried to patch my lawn as it was slightly bare from where my hebe used to grow...R.I.P hebe!

 

Wow! I only hope mine grows like that! When I bought the cistus today, it hadn't actually made it out onto the 'shop floor' yet and so had no label on it.
Do I now just leave it to grow, or do I cut it back throughout the year? I take it I just dead head it, as and when.
Thanks for the photo...and the compliment that I have done a good job....I try my best...

 

Wow Mark, what a difference .... if it was anything like my front garden yesterday, it was damned hot out there so double congratulations!

I don't know about the cistus, but the other two will definitely spread out. I trim mine quite a bit - by which I mean I take a pair of shears to them every so often, nothing scientific you understand, just a general chopping off at the top when I think they're looking a bit untidy. It's a kind of 'pinching out' but less subtle! You can always put in a few bedding plants or some annuals in the meantime (or even some catmint!!!).

 

thank you for that...will do! Well I am going to go and buy some edging stones tomorrow and get them in, then I am going to put down some bark...before finally sitting back and looking really pleased with myself. Will put on a photo of the finished 'plot' once complete...just in case anyone is interested lol.
It is really funny...as two neighbours of mine have since been to see me after I have done this very small garden project:
1) "Hi...that looks really nice..are you really green fingered? I need some advice with this plant over here...." (I did assure her that I WASN'T an expert, and informed her about this fantastic forum, from where advice can be sought!)
2) "That looks really good, I love the plant selection. Will you do mine too?"
(I am now doing the neighbour's front border so that hers is also manageable....)
Maybe I shouyld give up teaching and start my own gardening busines...he he
Thanks everyone for the advice and information. NO doubt, I will have plenty more questions as I make my way around the back of the house! Loads of my shrubs died there too! The onlyy thing I love at the moment is my 7year old clematis montana which is thriving along the fence trellis!