Blank canvas help!

kate1980

Our front garden is a complete blank canvas and I'm looking for any advice/tips on the design. It's NW facing But the front bed gets a decent amount of sun.

We want to limit the colours to greens, purples/blues and white (our back garden has all the of colours) and are looking for something fairly full and busy.

We are having an Osmanthus aquifolium hedge along the front white wall and then I'm thinking some lavender and  hellebores for all year foliage and then I've got a pile of bulbs to put in (cutting it fine to put them in!!) - alliums, purple and white tulips, white daffs, snowdrops, iris.

For the bed that runs along the mosaic path I'm less decided. I'm thinking a bit less structured with lots of different evergreens/different coloured foliage, the same bulbs and some summer flowers. Would that look a bit strange or do you think it would work? Any suggestions as to shrubs/things to plant now would be much appreciated!

thanks in advance!

Chris-P-Bacon

You seem to have quite a few services under the soil beds.. electric certainly..I can see a junction box and exposed cable on the walls(?). Make sure, before digging, you know what's there..electric, gas, cable tv, drains etc. 

purplerallim

Salvia's are a good bushy plant. My hot lips is still in flower now, bought this year and has doubled in size 60×60cm, they come in all colours/sizes. Maybe white Heather for ground cover. You need upright plants that won't cover the path .

Blue Onion

Ivory Halo dogwood bush https://www.rhs.org.uk/plants/158659/cornus-alba-ivory-halo-(-bailhalo-pbr)-dogwood-ivory-halo-dogwood-bailhalo/details

I just planted one in September, it's a lovely bush.  The max size is a bit large for that space, but I expect with those conditions and moderate light levels it won't reach that.  And you can always prune back older stems for fresh growth.  

They offer year round interest, and the bulbs will be happy growing up under and around them in the spring.  

Athelas

Choisya x dewitteana 'Scented Gem' or ‘White Dazzler’ (I have both, White Dazzler seems a bit smaller than Scented Gem) make great evergreen shrubs with white flowers twice a year, nice scent too.