Planting seeds

Hello,

I am after some advice here. Relatively new to gardening.

I have a couple of raised beds I would like to use for planting flowers.
They are north facing and shaded, dappled shade in some parts.
What summer flowers could I plant? Also can I plant directly in the beds or do I have to pot them first?

The leaves of my cordylines palm trees are brownish at the tip. How can I revive these plants? Any specific fertiliser to use?
thanks and regards

 

Hello again My last reply got wiped when the computer crashed. You can grow quite a lot of plants in a north facing bed surprisingly, certainly the woodland ones would do well. I have a bed with 2 trees in it and shaded by an enormous leylandii hedge. In it I grow: foxgloves, primroses, crocosmia, iris, asters, pulmonaria, golden rod and geranium. hope this helps.