Flowerbeds for new build garden

[DigthatBed]

I want to put some flowerbeds into my garden. It’s south facing. Have children so the climbing frame needs to stay, as does the shed.
There is ‘dead space’ either side of the patio steps. I can’t decide whether to do two straight beds down either side by the fences, or something more curved.
All ideas welcome! Thank you.

Given the size of the garden and the desire to keep the play areas, I would be inclined to stick to either side of the steps from the terrace for flower beds, and just have climbers along the fences rather than a tiny narrow flower bed which will get destroyed.

You could put climbers with their roots in the flower beds and possibly some with their roots to the far end of the garden, and leave the whole center clear for playing in.

Don’t do curves! I did and it was a pain for mowing the grass.

I'd sugggest leaving the shady side as grass, and putting a curved bed in on the sunny side. You don't want it straight but not so wiggly that it makes cutting the grass a pain.

And if you possibly can, I would raise the flower beds next to the terrace, maybe with a railway sleeper.

Thanks. For climbers along the fence, would I need to dig a narrow bed to plant into? Or just a semi circle type near the posts perhaps. I am currently trying to rescue a clematis.

Just a semi circle near the posts would work, I think. Make a decent sized hole, improve it with lots of organic matter, plant your climber and then give it a good mulch of shredded bark or similar.

Dug beds either side of the steps. Now to choose what to plant in there!

That's the fun bit!

Beds are done. I need to choose plants (thinking mainly perennials) for 2x beds 80cmx200cm that aren’t too high as they back onto the patio. I may put a few annuals in at the front. Two beds are full sun.

The bed at the end of the garden is shaded due to the fence, the ground is always damp there. Would like to plant something that’s happy in the dark and damp to fill the space.

Recommendations most welcome. Thank you for input!

Do you know if the soil is acid or limey? Makes a difference to the choice of plants.

Damp soil in shade is actually one of my favourite planting environments (because I lived in the med region for two decades, and damp was never to be found, shade rarely). You can have astilbes, heucheras, hydrangeas, ferns.

In sun near the house I'd have a mixture of small shrubs and perennials, otherwise you will have nothing in winter. Lavenders, rosemary, ceanothus, cistus, salvias all love the sun, can tolerate being relatively dry and will withstand the odd ball landing on them. Make sure you check the ultimate sizes of ceanothus and cistus, some do grow rather large.

I think we’re more alkaline here.

I’ve made a list from googling, will make a trip to a garden centre to have a look around.

You've been so kind with your input, thank you so much.

Your garden is just like mine minus the steps and the shed is on the other side.

I have started with climbers, jasmine and honeysuckle, on the sunny fence. I've put a small weeping willow off centre in the lawn before I decide where to cut turf.

Would love to see the climbers. I’m planning to do a climbing rose on one side. Undecided whether to plant one on each side.

You're very welcome!