Hi Hank, veg is not inappropriate if that is what you want to grow. That said for this year you could buy some annual bedding plants to have colour and give yourself time to think on how you would like the bed to look. A it is not very wide you probably don't want anything that is going to grow very big.

I agree, you can grow anything you want including veg. Looks about the right size for a nice row of garden peas, tomatoes, carrots, onions, (although not all at the same time).

You could even mix together edible and sweet peas and have veg and flowers at the same time :-)

There are quite a few salad crops that you could sow now, and they make quite a pretty display in their own right. Interspersed with something like tagetes or other bedding plants, it could look gorgeous.

How about a row of roses 'iceburg' I saw them in a similar sized border in Sth Africa. They looked gorgeous, and don't grow too high. Annuals are always an option as Moon growe said (while you are thinking)

I wouldn't plant roses if, as you say, you know nothing about flowers... They need rather more care and attention. In fact I like Gattina's idea :-)

We seem to have quite a few similar ideas, don't we, MG? Must be something to do with "Great minds........" ;o)
How about some dark leaved Lollo rosso and some deep blue bushy lobelia?

Thanks guys, I like the sound of lolla rosso,garden peas and tagetes ( I've no idea what these are but my wife often referred to them) And lobelia was another of hers.
If This sounds right I'll get on with it and impress my daughter. ,

How about zinnias? They bloom and bloom from July till the frost and are good for bees. i love them.

Never heard of zinnias, but will look them up,thanks John

hi Hank I think you've got a plan, lolla rosso and peas to eat etageres, possibly the French rather than the African and lobelia. You could grow the peas up cane wigwams rather than having a long line of them. The long cane tied together to make the wigwam, some twine tied round for the peas to grow up and 4 pea seeds at base of each cane.

Sounds good to me! Don't forget to take pictures of the finished effect, will you, Hank?

Indeed we need photos and sorry for the odd spelling, was outdoors typing in the sunshine :-)

Thanks M.G. - I was going to look up what sort of flowers etageres were
Pictures may be a while.

Tagetes Hank! Take all the time you need to put up pics

why not have a herb garden? Looks about the right size.
basil, chives, thyme and a bit of mint?

Don't put mint into the open ground... it will take over!

You beat me to it, MG.

Also basil and chives will not survive in the open ground overwinter and herbs, though useful in cooking, do not make for a particularly attractive or colourful border.