Postage Stamp Front Garden

[Captainfartslipper]

Would really value some recommendations - we've moved into our first house with a garden and am totally clueless! The front garden is small and gravelled with a few random bushes that I've cut back. I would love to smarten it up. Gravel will stay but any recommendations or ideas re tubs, troughs, plants would be much appreciated. It's an Edwardian semi and the garden is east facing and seems quite shady. Thanks, any advice appreciated.

I quite like a uniformed, near look.

This kind of thing is relatively low maintenance and you can use lavender or any shrub that is easy to maintain.

Another view

East facing edwardian semi with gravel sounds lovely

Thoughts:
the colours of the plants and gravel need to harmonise or contrast, any way , to present a pleasing appearance
something of interest needs to be there in all seasons
scent is nice

so I'm thinking spring=snowdrops, crocuses, wallflowers, sarcocca, winter jasmine
summer=bearded iris, lavender, lilium regale if room, oregano.
late summer=asters, fuschia, or if warm and sunny enough, calla lilies

If grey gravel choose purply/burgundy/blue plants if yellow gravel choose yellow and white plants

What style do you like? Are you looking for a low maintenance, smart front that you need do nothing to, or is this a major outdoor space that you want to use in different ways? (I realise not everyone has a back garden!)

There are some absolute masterpieces of Japanese zen gardening that are characteristically tiny. Yet perfect. They often combine a feature shrub or tree with topiary shapes, water and rock, often using a very, very muted colour palette of greens. Because the space is small, attention is all on the detail - everything is very carefully trained and placed.