Hi there, I'm a qualified but learning garden designer so have abit of knowledge but also want to follow here for ideas too! 😊
So great you want to get involved in your garden though, it's something to be encouraged!
So about your apple trees. How old are they? If they are fairly young then the amount of fruit will be less and therefore there ratio lost to insects and birds will be higher. My parents have a small orchard and it is currently producing lots of apples and pears despite the lack of rain this year. I like to be as nature freidnly as possible so I wouldn't suggest any sprays for your trees, we need the insects to pollutnate the flowers to produce the fruit so its better to have this attitude all year and just find other ways around it. You can still eat the fruit if a wasp has nibble a hole in it or if a maggot has got in, just notice where and cut it out. I would say just generally be quicker in noticing an picking the fruit. You can beat them to it especially when you get more fruit coming. 😊
Regarding flowers, alot of it comes down to the type of soil you have and the sunlight that falls in the area you want plants.
But sounds like you'd like a mixture of shrubs, perrenials and flowering bulbs which I would agree is a good choice to start with. Keep things relatively low maintainance and learn from there.
I'll just give you some ideas of each and then maybe that'll open some dorrways for you.
A lovely shrub that does well in most conditions is Hebe, there are many varieties of it and you can find it in all garden centres. I also love herby shrubs like rosemary which obviously doubles for its kitchen use and smells gorgeous.
A nice perrenials that is a favourite of mine and produces heaps of flowers for a long period is rudbeckia, again many varieties, many try a smaller one such as rustic dwarf. (great for cutting and bringing into the house too)
And bulbs you could go mad and now (going into autumn) is the perfect time of year to plant them. You'll find them in the shops everywhere at the moment. Daffodils of any variety are a must, snow drops for shady areas, or even bluebells, crocus, hyacinths and then for later you can have tulips and gladioli.
1 other main thing if mention quickly is to just always check the height and growth of a plant to make sure you've put it in the correct space (I. E. Large plants at the back, small at the front) and just have fun, be brave, don't be afraid to try things. If a plant dies then you can always buy another 😊
I would also recommend maybe once just buying a gardening magazine (my faves are Garden Answers and Gardener's World.)
Fab for ideas and inspiration.
Also check out the RHS website for reading up about plants you'd like.
Hope this helps! 😊 Happy growing!! X