A three foot strip is very limiting. I know people do it all the time, but IMO, it's a bad practice. Unless you only plant small shrubs or taller, narrow conifers like some smaller arborvitaes, you don't have a lot of choices. I harp about this all the time, but it does bear repeating. Make thouse foundation beds large enough to accommodate more types of shrubs. Otherwise, you'll have a boring straight row of a small selection of plants.

If you're stuck with that 3-ft deep strip, here are some possibilities: spireas (many cultivars); boxwoods; DeGroot's Spire arborvitae, ornamental grasses (large selection) and you can also plant Knockout roses if you maintain them to less than 3-ft spread.

Here are some ideas:

Dwarf Yaupon holly
Variegated pittosporum (will require pruning)
dwarf cultivar of Indian Hawthorn maybe
Podocarpus (requires pruning, but can be kept to any size)
Sasanqua camellia -- like 'Bonanza' -- would be amazing in fall and early winter

All these are 'friendly' in that they do not have thorns.

MulchMama ~ thanks so much for your reply and very helpful tips. You're right, in that I am 'stuck' with this strip. I'll google some of the one's I haven't heard of. I like the boxwood idea. Any idea how tall they can get? Or what kind you might suggest?

dave ~ I appreciate your ideas. I like the camelia suggestion. I'll have to go and check out Bonanza. Thank you for all your help. Now I"m off to Google some of these plants.

In general for the best visual effect you want shrubs to be 1 1/2 times as high as a bed is wide at the point they are to be planted. So if the whole bed is 3' wide then plant it with shrubs that can be attractively maintained at 4 1/2' tall. An exception would be where there are low windows or other features that you do not want to cover behind a planting spot.

Hi bboy, thanks as always for your suggestion. I'll definitely keep that in mind when I'm planting. What kind of plants would you recommend. They'll be planted next to the mobile home next door to me to hide the ugly skirting around the house.The property is mine and they wouldn't care anyway. lol