Where to even start?

[reallyanotherone]

New house, reasonable size garden. Not massive, but big enough.

It's a rectangle shape. The house was a refurb/conversion so the developer has laid (nice, even) lawn. Nothing else.

I am no gardener. Previously had small city garden which was reasonably well established. And a gardener .

So. Borders? Bedding? Trees? Os this something I need to pay a professional to get me started? Is it a lot of digging? Or can i buy those roll up half logs to mark borders and fill in with sacks of compost?

I'd like to get at least the general shape sorted so i can add plants gradually.

I like colour, smell, nature. So would like some fruit, plants like jasmine and lilac, and stuff that will attract bees and birds.

Also- i have a patio area outside the kitchen that would make a great herb garden. Can i buy those wooden box type things and fill them with soil, or do the need liners or are they designed to put pots in?

Tia!

I'd invest in a good landscape gardener for a couple of beds/trees. My parents did this in a similar situation and every summer when it all blooms they remark that it was money well spent.

I think you mean a raised bed for herbs? You can make those quite easily, lots of instructables online.

Enjoy - sounds like a good project!

I would take it slowly, and figure out which parts of the garden get sun/shade at various times of year before you commit. Otherwise you're risking putting expensive borders or trees just where you would want to have seating, or vice versa.

It's a budget versus time thing.
You could look in lots of gardening magazines, and by some design books, (Alan titchmarsh did a good series), and use some inevitable trial and error. It takes a few years, can be hit and miss, by g very rewarding
Or you could look in the gardening mags, pintetest etc, to pin down what you like, then employ a garden designer.