New garden

Hello everyone!

I finally pulled the trigger and got the paving stones dug up and the beginnings of a proper garden put in! The lawn and hedge went in 3 days ago. I have 2 beds that I want to start putting plants into. I've a notion to come November put some rose bushes along the garden path bed. But have absolutely no idea what else to put in and when to do so.

Should I put in some winter bedding plants temporarily, then come spring change again. Or should I just wait to spring and put plants in then? If so what type of plants? I don't want anything too high along the house so as to inhibit light into the window.

The house is East facing so the sun comes up and over it in the morning going to the other side by 1pm in the afternoon. TIA.

 

Hi @Irishdids - that's a nice little lawn you've got. Hopefully it'll establish nicely and be a good green space next year.
I'm guessing you may be in Ireland/N. Ireland, going by your username, but correct me if I'm wrong! It's always useful to know roughly your location, as that always helps with plant suggestions etc.
The amount of sun any site gets can depend on various things, but you may find you don't get a lot of sun from about now until next spring, so anything you choose for your beds will need to be happy with some shade. I don't grow roses, but they're fairly adaptable, with thousands of varieties. Someone else will be able to help with those if you decide to go for them, and it's your garden, so if you want roses, then go for it. You can also underplant them to give more seasonal range, and you'll get help with that too.
The bed under the front aspect of the house will be shadier, as it will really only get sun in the morning, but there are plenty of plants which will be fine, whether it's annuals or perennials/shrubs. A mix of those is usually the best solution.
If the beds are nicely prepped, you can plant anything potted just now, and for the next couple of months. It becomes more difficult heading into winter though, as you need the ground to be favourable, ie - not frozen or waterlogged, to avoid damage to the root system of any new plants.
If you fancy some winter stuff, there's no reason why you can't do that, but it depends on your budget! It certainly helps to cover the soil if you can, because animals will often use it as a toilet. I'll say no more...

If you can offer any further info re what you like in colours, whether you want all year round interest, how much time you have for maintenance etc, as well as that location and general climate, that will all help with suggestions. There's a vast difference in conditions around the country, so there's no point suggesting things that aren't hardy if you live in a colder, exposed spot, or are at any decent altitude, and equally - if you're in a very dry, warm area, things that like cooler conditions and plenty of moisture won't do so well.