Beginner needing help

I have a flower garden that consist of ugly bushes. It was like this when we got the house and I haven't changed it since because I have no idea where to start. I'm tired of looking at it and want to make a change. I know that I will need something that doesn't take a lot of work because I am gone more than I am home. I would like to take out the bushes, add flowers and other shrubs, and maybe add some small trees. Our walkway is bordered with monkey grass which I do not hate but hate that it spreads so much and I don't know how to control it. The flower bed is only about 2 feet wide and is the length of our house/porch. The porch is low to the ground also. We only have 2 steps from the ground to the porch. This area gets sunlight in the early afternoon until dusk. I live in Alabama so it gets pretty hot during the summer months. It also gets a lot of water when it rains because the rain that comes off the roof lands directly in the flower bed. I have added a picture and can add some more if needed. Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

You said you wanted to add "flowers and other shrubs, and maybe add some small trees." with a garden bed only 2' wide it's not going to be possible to fit all that in there unless you do all dwarf varieties.
Were you planning on laying out an entire new bed?
The area only gets afternoon sun? So about only 5 hrs of sun?
How much rain do you normally get and does the water actually pool there or does it drain away?... there's a difference if plants can take a wet area or just a beating from the rain coming off the roof

I would like to make the bed bigger but as you can see it is right against the monkey grass which lines the walkway. I would also be taking up the existing bushes. The rain that falls from the roof doesn't land on the plants but pools in the front of the bed. The plants get sunlight throughout the day in this area but gets direct sunlight in the afternoon.

If you wanted to make the bed bigger you can always move the monkey grass.

Oh ok, so full sun zone 7 wet tolerant plants
http://www.bluestoneperennials.com/b/bp/results_pics.html

You could plant the pale yellow/green liriope (it doesn't spread like the green that you have) right behind the green and fill in that bed -- it would take a ton of water no issues --- and the heat and sun. May not be very exciting for you but then you could put a bird bath or large flower pot or a garden sign etc. to sort of color and dress it up. Also if you had a wide trellis that could sit along the back edge against the porch but in the dirt you could maybe grow some vines up there for interest. I'd make sure to discourage anything that is a bee magnet since you have the narrow space to walk.

If you don't like liriope ----you maybe could consider dwarf crepe myrtle.

How big does dwarf crepe myrtles get??

Dwarf Crapemyrtles average about 4ft tall. The weeping and miniatures 2 to 3 ft tall.

http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/archives/parsons/trees/crapemyrtle/crape_myrtle_varieties.html

Thank you for the information. I came up with an idea of what I wanted and used a planner online to get a picture which i have attached. Keep in mind this is only a sketch so to speak. The house the five cubes are actually the porch posts and the house is obviously connected to the porch not just behind it like it looks on the picture. I would like some sort of bush/shrub that only gets about 2-3 feet tall in front of the posts and some perennial flowers or something inbetween them to get more color and variation. What do you think is best for borders? Plastic, rock, bricks, wood, monkey grass which I already have bordering my walkway?? Any advice on types of shrubs/bushes, flowers, and also a border?