You are really not giving us much to go on. As much as anything, it sounds like the bed needs dug up and divided.

For example, what climate are you in?

What perennials do you have now and what do you like / not like? Sounds like you want a 'cottage garden' mix.

I think the key to a good perennial garden is having a mix of plants with different bloom times that are intermixed with strong foliage plants (color/texture) -- everything arranged so the garden looks good even when most plants are not blooming. e.g., I have one perennial bed that starts blooming with spring bulbs in mostly yellows, whites, and purples.... the next flush in late spring is from various irises, alliums, etc. and it's mostly blues and purples... once they fade the garden flushes in pinks and oranges with phlox, lilies, coneflowers, etc.

The best tip I have for the look I think you want: don't arrange plants in neat rows. Think in terms of large clumps of color and texture... and your tallest plants should be at the 'back' of the bed so they don't shade the shorter plants.

Thanks for your responses. I live in Zone 3. I like the idea of digging up the perennials, then perhaps tilling and working in compost and replanting those perennials we like and adding new ones. I like a lot of color, texture and various heights. We do have some white and yellow daffodils in early spring. Other plants include candy tuft, Echinacea, sun drops, wisely blue, Shasta daisy, dusty miller, heucherella in the lower shady end along with hosta, and others I can't name but in the past few seasons the total effect does not look fresh like it used to. Maybe the soil is worn and sad. I would like it if someone would give me a list of plants that would be a fresh look that would give the effect of a healthy English garden. Thanks again all of you.

Bill, there isn't just one list -- everyone has their preferences in plants, and different plants make sense for different growing conditions and climate. You're in zone 3, so that will limit your choices. You don't have full sun, so that also determines what plants will make the best sense. Do a search using terms like "cottage garden plants zone 3", or some variation of that, looking at both websites and images to get ideas. Quite frankly, I did that search and looked at a few of the sites and I would COMPLETELY disagree with what they recommended as the "best" plants... I'd just use the searches to get ideas of what appeals to you visually. Then maybe come back here and discuss options.

I'm in z5 and here's a quick list of perennials or bulbs that I grow -- I have both shady and sunny gardens (from memory, we're under a lot of snow!):

Snow drops, crocus, daffodils, tulips, hyacinths, wood hyacinths, grape hyacinths, alliums, oriental and asiatic lilies, forget-me-nots, lily of the valley, Dame's Rocket, Dictamnus, Sweet William, Siberian iris, bearded iris (many!), trollius, kniphofia, tons of hostas, Japanese and other painted ferns, bleeding heart, echinaceas (several), pyrethrum, creeping phlox, tall phlox (several), balloon flowers (dwarf and tall), daylilies (several), hardy hibiscus (diff colors), heucheras (many), coreopsis, brunnera, monarda, roses (several), campanulas (I love both white and blue C. persicifolia!)... I'll come back when I think of more.

Foxgloves! love them! Polemonium, Solomon's Seal, heucherella, ... duh, Astilbes! (several). Valerian, artemisia, columbines, ... also things like rhododendrons (including dwarfs!) and honeysuckle vine to climb, ... oh, perennial baby's breath! I have mine behind a tall red rose and it's stunning. :) Poppies! Peonies (many!), Stokesia! Orange butterfly weed. Tall and creeping sedums (many). Centaurea montana (bachelor's buttons). Candytuft, shasta daisy.

And liatris! (L. spicata -- both white and purple).