Total beginner help

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I am an absolute novice at gardening, we have a lovely but no flowers, bushes or plants and I really want to make the garden more colourful. My gardener currently does the upkeep of those. I would like to start doing it myself preferably. I’m going to start off small with a couple of planters in one section of my garden that I’ve bought with the intention of entirely doing myself, and then I’d also like to do some hanging baskets.

With the possibility of sounding like an idiot, I have some questions!

Do I buy seeds and plant them, or do I buy actual plants/bushes and plant them instead? If I buy seeds, will they be ready for the summer?

Do I have to do this every year or is there some plants that will keep coming back every year without me replanting stuff?

Is there any other beginner tips I need to know? Are there any fail safe plants and flowers that will look great and I’m unlikely to kill? Anything I should absolutely avoid?

If I were to grow herbs, do I need to keep those separately to my other plants? E.g. Separate pots?

It's a so complicated and mind-blowing to start with..I was going to say,go to a local nursery if you have one. Garden centres these days tend to sell a lot of clothes, scented candles. If you have a Hilliers near you,they are expensive but knowledgeable..I know people think south facing gardens are marvellous, I had a quarter of an acre south facing. We live in the SE UK, frequent hose pipe bans. I would say in the heart of summer,you are watering pots (go for big ones) and hanging baskets twice a day..15 second rule,ie slowly count to 15 while watering each pot. Often you can lift the plant from the pots,you'll find it's wet an inch down then Dry as a bone. Have a look and see what flourishes in nearby gardens. It's a case of "right plant, right place". I'm in east Sussex,10 minutes from the sea,70 miles from London, but we have London Clay. We are opposite the South Downs which are chalk, just one road away..with pots,you can cheat the soil conditions.

Isn't your gardener able to advise? Knowing the garden and it's micro-climate would be a huge advantage.

He’s more of a mow the lawn and cut the hedges kind of gardener if you know what I mean

You don't actually have to dig anything except the planting holes & to remove weeds.
I look after two gardens & an allotment & use the 'no dig' method.
Saves many hours of work & I have far fewer weeds than when I used to dig over my soil.

Keep an eye on your gardener - the mowing & hedge trimmers are buggers for 'weeding' new plants. Make sure you tell him which bits to leave.