Blank canvas - any ideas?

Hello there everyone!
I'm new here and have just discovered the magic of gardening. The bad news is I hadn't touched my garden for two years since I moved in, (been working on the inside of the house), the good news is that now I have a blank canvas to do with it what ever I want! The only thing is I don't really know what I want to do with it!

My bedding area is in a square U shape at the bottom of my garden with two raised beds in the center that used to be a greenhouse (I can tell by the broken glass I find everywhere), then towards the house I have grass and down one side a steep sloping and very narrow (and very dry) bed. The right hand side, and the bottom side of my garden recieves full sun, with the left hand side being partially or maybe even fully shaded. (I'll find out when I cut the privet!)

The bottom was covered in overgrown nettles, brambles, dandilions and such like and I have dug the majority of them out already. My plan is to double dig and remove all the weed roots (when it stops snowing) and prepare the soil for planting.

What to plant?

My daughter and I bought some seeds which I have sucessfully propegated: lavender, forget me nots, and mint; and I have just sown some echinatia, scarlet flax and some chives. I've got a lilly of the valley and campanular happening in a planter and have just planted 2 dahlias: 1 Purple gem, 1 arabian night also in tubs for now.

My favorite colour is purple and I've gone a little crazy I think!

I was thinking to have the shaded bed as a cloud of forget me nots with the lilly of the valley and the campanular, with some snow drops and crocuses to be a purple and white, winter to sping bed.

Then along the bottom I wanted something to reflect the (fingers crossed) heat of the summer, the arabian night, scarlet flax, some crocosmia.

I have a square concrete planter outside my door for my herbs, and the lavender I was planning for the upper right hand bed ( the sloping one) so we can smell it when we're lounging on the grass.

Beyond that I have no clue what to do with it. The bottom beds are 1-2m wide and 4m long so I have quite a lot of space (for a terraced house).

Any ideas and advice very much welcome and appreciated.
Over to you.

 

Persephoy, I think you`ve got it pretty much sussed. I wouldn`t plant the mint directly in the ground because it will take over. You also need to keep an eye on the crocosmia for the same reason.

 

Wow Persephony saying that its a terrace house you have done well with your garden and some really nice plants as well.

I just wonder have you a fence or a wall where you can grow things upwards? as a climber or two will make your garden seem even bigger and there are also a great many climbers you could grow.

You're in lucky quite a few clematis are a stunning purple so it will not be too hard for you to find the right plant to fit into your colour scheme.

To add to David's watch list I would add Lily Of The Valley it's a real pain trying to keep this plant in check I thought I dug all mine up but once again the plant has proven me wrong!Hel.xxx.

 

I didn`t mention Lily of the Valley because I like to see great swathes of it. :D :D

 

Persephoy, a blank canvas ... lovely!
Do you have any photos that you can post?

Which way does your garden face is important so that you get the right plants, i.e. full sun, shade etc. Also what type of soil do you have?

 

When I work out how to get photo's from my camera to my computer I will post some!
I have 3 conifers covering the back fence, they have been hacked (not by me) and the debris is tossed at the bottom of the garden along with bits of concrete and sections of brick wall, presumably from when next door put their new fence in. Next doors fence runs down the entire left hand side of the garden but I guess I would have to ask them if they minded me growing climbers up it. It's a nice idea though, thanks for the imput.
I am kinda counting on the lilly of the valley and the crocosmia to spread like wildfire as I have quite a large area to cover and only a few bulbs, but as the years go on i'll dish them out to friends. They are both so pretty I couldn't bear to throw it out.
As for the soil, that's a very good point, I have not tested it, it seems healthy though it's fluffy and a lovely colour, the last tennants really looked after the garden, it just got trashed when the house was empty and then neglected by me.