Ideas for plants for bed

sweet pea Sarah

i have this small bed in my garden.What I grew in it this year..some of it worked and some didn’t.I did have an Empress Woo hosta back left but moved that as it was lost and also the fern at the backs not that happy.Its a dry sunny bed with conifer growing in it forming part of a large arch with roses and wisteria so I need to keep that which obviously adds to dryness.I am keeping the echinacea day lilies and helennium. There is also a tall purple herbaceous flower but I don’t know what it is.Has anyone got any ideas.Also an ajuga at the front which has done well and at the front I had some alyssum which worked well.I always like to try and grow bee/insect friendly plants if possible.
Attached is foto of bed,sorry for long post.

Fairygirl

Does it get sun most of the day?
Your purple plant is Verbena bonariensis. It likes dry sunny sites, so perhaps worth looking at anythign which likes the same conditions. You can help the moisture retention by adding some manure. Either dig it in or lay iton the bed over winter.
The daisy plants [Leucanthemum] should do well - and things like Heleniums, and Scabious.I have Lychnis coronaria in a sunny bed. Bright pink flowers, grey foliage. Euphorbias will work with all of those too, and the Sedums which flower at this time of year. I grow wild rocket, which is very tough, and is covered in small yellow flowers for months. The bees/hoverflies love it 

sweet pea Sarah

Hi Fairygirl
Not far off most of the day...The verbena is a bit too tall for the bed,the purple flower i don’t know has been cut back,bit like toadflax but flower thicker..I think I have Lychnis in the garden already and I have a sedum I need to move,thanks for the ideas.

Fairygirl

Sorry - I thought you meant the purple plant in your pic
There's a shorter Verbena which you might find suits you better - It's called V. rigida. I got one at B&Q a while ago. Slightly different habit, and shorter, but same colour flowers. Might be worth trying. Veronicas and Salvias would also be fine in that sort of  site.
There will be lots of other plants that will suit, if I could engage my bran to remember them