Helping a small corner planting spot

In my historic neighborhood, there's an old corner store.  It's a simple store, largely catering to the less affluent folks in the housing project down the street.

After mulching

But it's front row and center to one of the main streets through our neighborhood, and right next door to a thriving neighborhood restaurant, so its corner planting spot is quite visible.  And, after recent city stoplight additions, it's even more so.

I volunteered (on behalf of my garden club, but really just me) to help clean it up some months ago, just before the incident of the hands, which had my right (and dominant) hand practically useless, followed by traveling, and then a nasty virus that laid me low for 3+ weeks.

So I was glad to get over there yesterday, pick up a bit of trash, and throw pine mini-nuggets over the square, hoping that they'll break down enough by spring to create a bit of a planting bed, for something that might not be trampled....