Plants for front garden with low wall and metal railings

[GOODCAT]

Our front garden has a low front wall with black iron railings. It currently has narrow bare borders (no plants except weeds) with a grass lawn in the middle. It is rectangular in shape which suits the house which is a late Victorian townhouse. I want to soften it with a not too formal garden.

I plan to make the borders much wider. I keep googling for ideas but I cannot find anything where I think it looks good both from the roadside and from the front room looking out.

Any ideas or phrase to google would be gratefully received.

Hope you had a lovely weekend planning your garden. It might help to google topics like these.
Victorian Front Garden Planting
Small Victorian Front Garden Design
Front Garden Design Ideas

Ask yourself a few questions. Do I have the time to cut the grass at least once a week and how convenient is it to lug a lawn mower out there? Gravel or paving can look great instead of lawn.
Would a formal or informal planting scheme suit the house better? Usually Victorian gardens were quite formal at the front. Think low hedges and topiary. (Box balls are easy to do)
What blends in with other gardens in the street?
If you plant colourful evergreens you can interplant with begonias for summer/Autumn but will still have colour all year round from the shrubs, and you could ring the seasonal changes with pots, perhaps one big one either side of the front door with e.g. Bulbs for spring, long flowering perennials for summer and autumn and berries and ivy for winter.