You will be. I think you need advice from someone who knows your climate and area, so I will not suggest anything in particular. My experience of moving around the world (14 houses in 33 years including temps between our 6 farms),is that everyone, but everyone, puts too much in and the whole place becomes overcrowded and difficult to manage. Best to limit the permanent perennial things to their mature spacing and fill in with annuals or grass. Old McDonald.

Are you sure that there aren't any other plants in the garden? It's January and there may be bulbs in the ground waiting to pop up that you won't know about if you've only just moved in. Rather than spend out too much on plants if you don't know what you want, send away for some seed catalogues and spend bedtimes reading them. Choose the annuals that you like the look of and sow them for this year to give you a riot of colour. In this way you will see the garden through to Autumn and may have some ideas for more permanent planting. Before long you'll be hooked.

Might be a new build, scraped subsoil and a couple of landscape bushes?

If it is not a newly built property, there will certainly be perennial plants ready to pop up and surprise you. I would suggest buying a bunch of bedding plants in May. They will give you a beautiful display this summer and plenty of time to research which perennial plants you want to put in, maybe find out what you already have in the garden and how horrible the soil is :)

Thanks everyone for your helpful advice......watch out! Local Garden Centre here i come!!! :)

I also recommend that you borrow a dog and go for a walk around the neighbourhood to see what's doing well over other garden fences. And what you like the look of.

Especially look over the fences to older and interesting gardens - the sort you might like to have.

If you are in a newly developed area all the new householders rush down to the local plant shop and buy things that 'grow fast' or 'have pretty flowers'. Fast forward five years or so and look at the Monsters taking over their gardens.

If you have garden shows on TV where the presenter extolls a particular plant/colour range/style odds are that the plant people will be well-stocked -unfortunately ('cos everyone will buy the same thing...)

If you don't have a lot of time for gardening but you still want it to look special, consider something like a 'gravel garden' - like Beth Chatto's in the south of England. It's not completely 'no water' and 'low labour' but it trends that way. It's also a 'good look' in which to place strong colours and garden ornaments - even gnomes!

And, while it's still winter - start a garden diary for keeping a note of the daily weather, what came up when (or died), what you bought, how well it did (what you spent...). That way you have a base line for future years and a running record of names. I find it's the best thing I ever did - next to getting rid of the lawn!

Thanks Vetivert8, the house is over 120 years old so i may have a few suprises.
I did notice the other day that strawberries seem to be appearing, and also primroses, and snowdrops......i am so excited, i have never had the experience of watching a garden grow, so to speak.
I did have a look around the other houses in the lane, but for some sad reason everyone has concreted over what used to be garden, i assume so they can park their cars, so it looks like it is up to me to set a good example :)

I'm a bit of a newbie myself but over the last couple of years have learned that when you go down to the garden centre, resolve to buy at least three of everything. If not five. Otherwise you only get the effect of the plant close-up. My favourite plant for colour is a geranium called Roxanne or Rozanne which carries blue flowers for at least 6 months of the year.

Best wishes

Hi Taffy from another Taffy.
Try Ceanothus, the darker the leaf the better. I have Dark Star, which is really lovely. Aren't you lucky to have rich soil!!! Mine is very clay, so have to work on it. I am also fairly new to gardening, it takes time. Also very impatient, what I grow has to flower yesterday.Paeonies also grow well on rich soil(ask my husband). Hope you have lots of luck in your home, plus garden.

Hi Candy Bunny

Does the geranium Rozanne end up with really stumpy ugly stems like some geraniums do after a while? I like the blooms but the ugly stems would really put me off.

ta
esthomizzy

Hi NewbieG, welcome to the boards.

One small word of advice, please don't go to the local chains of garden centres, find a local nursery. The plants will be cheaper, better and the staff will know what they are talking about and be able to give you plenty of really sensible advice.

Good luck, happy shopping and enjoy your new garden.