Garden border design where do I begin?

[Curver]

I’ve got 2x south facing beds (2m x 60cm) and 1x north facing (I think, it does get some dappled sun, 3m x 80cm)

The smaller beds can be seen from both sides as they separate the patio from the lawn. I made the mistake last year of planting mainly annuals and a couple of hebes, ie it now looks very bare. I’d like to create something that has interest all year around but I don’t know where to start.

The shady bed has moist soil, but a fence behind so I can add more height. It currently only has a hydrangea planted that did very well last summer.

I visit garden centres but come away with nothing as I’m worried I’ll buy randomly and it won’t all fit together. I like a manicured look to my garden, but don’t mind doing the work to maintain.

Today I found Daphne’s (look lovely!) along with Fatsia plants (for the shade).

If anyone could recommend smallish shrubs for the sun beds, and something more full for the shady bed that would be so helpful!

Thank you.

Crocus .co.uk does a thing where you can pick a border and they will sell you all the plants and tell you where to plant them. I found it really useful when I was starting out gardening.

https://www.crocus.co.uk/plants/_/plcid.1189/

Garden on a roll!! You tell them what your soil is like, which way it faces etc, how long/wide it is and they send you a plan and the plants!

www.gardenonaroll.com

For the shady bed - Pittosporums, Box, evergreen ferns, Choisya Aztec Pearl, Skimmia Kew green (all of these are evergreen shrubs) and Hydrangea Annabelle. For flower colour add foxgloves, geraniums and astrantia’s. Geranium Rozanne flowers all summer.

For the sunny bed you can also include box to mirror the shady border but then a lot more flowers and tall grasses.

Thank you! Off to google these

Hadn’t seen this before, thank you!

Have you had any personal experience? I have toyed with it, might go for it for at least the shady bed. It’s quite expensive but I may end up wasting money if I don’t get it right so possibly a win!

We bought my SIL a voucher for her birthday a few weeks ago....but no experience yet??!

Skimmia x reevesiana would give you berries as well as flowers. Hamamelis for early flowers, a deciduous Euonymus (maybe alata) for autumn colour. If you’re on neutral to acid soil, Fothergilla has lovely fluffy white flowers. All these for the shady side.