I liked everything you mentioned although I'd suggest checking to be sure they like your local climate. Be careful with some things like the clover, mints, and bee balm -- often they will spread rapidly and not necessarily where you wish they would go. I strongly suggest putting tall and deep edging around the beds that have these plants; you will still have plenty of extras popping up elsewhere from the seeds they set. Many types of clover are hellacious to pull up once they get loose; most mints will take over your garden with great enthusiasm but can be controlled with determined weeding of excess sproutlings in early spring - but oh, how the bees love them! You might want to consider some of the agastaches -- come in several colors and the bees seem to think they are as good as clover. Don't forget to put in lots of low-care annuals, they can help provide for the spring/summer/fall population. I don't know about the trumpet creepers: some places consider them invasive. If so for your area, try some of the bush-type lonicera (honeysuckle).

Be sure to keep an eye on the mature height and width of the trees - isn't golden rain one of those that reaches to 60'?

Regarding rough soil -- why not put in good wide paths? If you use a wheelchair, they should be of smooth concrete (although my mum did okay with concrete pavers, those can sometimes be hard to use); but otherwise, even a thick shredded leaf mulch would let you progress without the roughness. I've been on crutches for extended periods, and if you get those wide-bottomed rubber tips, they can handle most mulches. And I'm not one to encourage mowing -- that's got to be an invention of the keeping-up-with-Jones club and I'd rather spend my time and money on bulbs and plants! If you really want to give up the grass, you can gradually turn the grassy areas into 'garden rooms' with terracing, edged beds, and lots of colorful plants. And a chair or bench or two ;) It helps to do some forethought on design since you want it to look good from the street as well as from the house. BTW, my suburban residence is in an area with many trees; folks are gradually giving up the lawn in favor of putting wide beds around the trees (grouping several trees in one bed) with lots of shrubs, hosta, lilies, and shade perennials. Several are growing (? not sure that's the right term) moss for paths. Looks lovely, and boy did they snicker at the folks who had to water lawns during the last drought. I think ease of care and naturalness is finally becoming accepted as a viable alternative to the Jones' lawn :) Check with your local garden clubs to see what grows easily (but not invasively) in your locale -- and check with local apiarists for their recommendations of favored bee plants.

I have a bee hive (doing well - thank you), and live in the "burbs" but trying to keep the bee growth to a minimum.

These bees "adopted" my back yard, and I just happened to have an empty hive (left over from previous bee colony in another location), so hived the newcombers.

Anyway, I found beside the plants you mentioned, that borage is a good bee attractor - and also have herbs - fennel, mint, dill and cilantro that I let go to seed to attract butterflies as well.

I have 15 fruit trees of various varieties - (many low-chill for my warmer climate) and as I am an older lady, have encouraged a ground cover called Aptinia.

This may or may not be available in your area - but is used quite extensively here for cliff and hillside erosion control. It has a small either red or white blossom (depending on variety) that the bees are foraging in all of the time.

As an added benefit, it helps to control the wild grasses and weeds in and around the trees - and acts as a moisture retention medium as well.

It is easy to maintain and eradicate - even tho growing quite rampantly. This is similar to ice plant, which is seen and used for erosion control in our part of the country but much easier to deal with. I especially like it because as it makes a dense cover, and quite effectively crowds out the devil of all grasses - Bermuda, growing in unwanted places.

I appreciate the fact that bees can forage all year long here and there is always something blooming to keep a steady source of nectar available for them, but if possible, I recommend the Aptinia (variety Apple), for the reasons mentioned.

Just my 2 c's.

Bejay

I notice bees working forget-me-not (Myosotis) and the big bumble bees love broad beans (fava?) which also make a useful windbreak. Sunflowers are appreciated, too. Parsley and Swiss chard flowers, catnip and carpet thymes, Delphiniums, and Chaenomeles - but there is the hazard of the spines. Flowering currants are useful - and buckwheat.

Willows are valuable for the pollen which bees also need but those roots an find the tiniest crack in a water line. You might want to check with your local apiary inspector for good pollen source plants, too.