New garden needs fast colour

I've just bought my first home and it comes with a lovely wee garden. It's not a huge space (maybe 25 feet x 35 feet) and it's currently just 'lawn' (read moss and weeds for that bit!). Two sides of it are onto the road so I'm planning a beech hedge in the long term to give more privacy than the existing chicken-wire fence. But I'd like some colour this year to keep me inspired!

My plan was to dig out a border from the fence and chuck in some sweet pea and sunflower seeds in the hope of getting a good show quickly. We're unlikely to have any more frosts here but rain will be abundant, I have no doubt! Does my idea sound realistic or should I have a rethink?

Secondly, one side of the garden is quite a steep bank. This is held up by a solid wall by the back door, which is shady and seems to contain a lot of stones and gravel, so I thought perhaps making it into a rockery with heather and thyme and periwinkle would be practical. Further along the bank the wall stops and the bank sort of peters out so I am thinking about some shrubs here (no idea what). Any comments/suggestions/advice?

 

It's a bit late fo sowing sweetpea seeds so probably better to get some nice individual ones from a garden centre. Don't get the ones planted a dozen or so in one pot. They don't like root distubance and the ones I tried last year were poor.

Some quick splashes of colour you could try from seed. Nasturtium, Ten Week Stock, Love In A Mist, and Marigolds. For next spring, you should also be sowing Wallflower soon.

Anyone got any other 'quickies' to suggest?

 

As an added suggestion - how about getting some fuchsias - they'll give you colour right through to the next frost. And some annual dahlias?

 

iff you put a trellis against the wall buy a climbing shrub called solanum glasnevin it is ideal for a sheltered spot, i have got one growing on my balcony, iff you can get one now it will grow fine but will not flower until next year, great coverage, the flowers on mine are coming out now they are light mauve with yellow centres little flowers bunched together, worth the wait. good luck