Calling budding garden designers!

[MaJoady]

I'm moving into a new build soon and for the first time will have a blank canvas of a garden that I can do what I like with. It's of a decent size, approx 100sqm (although L shaped) and south facing. There are no buildings behind the garden, but a 6ft close board fence around the garden does create some shade. Soil tends towards the clay side of things, but could be stickier.

I have a few ideas about what I want in the garden, and what I want to do, but feel a bit overwhelmed by the whole thing. I'm not having the garden turfed, as I want something more interesting than turf with a flower border, so will be left with a sea of rotivated earth. How do I go about designing what I want?

I'd like to add trees because I love them, probably some/a plum tree(s) and I'd like to grow roses in as low maintenance way as possible. Oh and have a patio to sit on in the sun. And then my inspiration dries up...! Can anyone point me towards any good resources? Or indeed fancies having a think, if garden design is your thing?!

How about this as an alternative to turf? www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/shortcuts/2019/apr/24/why-you-should-turn-lawn-into-wildflower-meadow

(Sorry, /i should clarify - it does involve grass. But instead of rolling out turf you could sow a few diffrent types of grass seed, and some wildflower seeds)

Try and get hold of a copy of the book 'Making a garden' by David Stevens (City & Guilds). It would be ideal to help you plan what you want, and then carry it out. The book guides you through the whole process of designing a garden so that it suits what you want to use it for.