Advice and guidance for a beginner

[Teawithfrenchtoast]

I am a complete beginner when it comes to gardening. I have a granite wall along the front of my south facing front garden. I’d like to create a boarder and add easy to care for shrubs and plants, any ideas where to start and what I should opt for? I don’t have a big budget. I live in northern Scotland so the winters can be very cold so I’d need to take that into consideration too.

I hear Beechgrove is good for beginners, and it's in Scotland:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m0004c4v

Will the plants be in the wall's shade? How tall is the wall? How wet or dry does it get?

If you have any gardening friends or family, let them know that you're looking for plants and maybe some gardening help/advice in exchange for dinner.

If you have neighbours with similar aspects keep an eye on their gardens over the seasons and see what you like the look of and what survives or thrives. Asking them about the ones that appeal to you will be a good way of saying hello; keen gardeners are often pleased to talk about plants and happy to share, but do be wary of spreaders.

You can do a google image search on any plants you see around your own neighbourhood, and read about them. The amount of accessible information now is incredible.

Initially you want to pay attention to
the soil type plants prefer (acid/alkaline, nutrient rich/ poor, damp/dry) and the light levels plants prefer (full sun/partial shade/shade. Some plants are ok across the spectrum, others require specific light levels to flourish). Check their hardiness - what temperatures they can survive.

You may want to consider your own capacity for commitment. For instance I have a preference for slow growing shrubs (so they won’t get out of control if I can’t get round to pruning one year, or two), and perennials that I can plant once and rely on to return.

It’s also good to consider how it will look throughout the seasons. Evergreens are good for winter, particularly if you have some variety in the leaves. Check when and how long the flowering season is, if they do anything interesting in autumn.

Agree with a pp - looking at what grows well in the neighbours' gardens and your local district is a good shout.

Don't be afraid to make mistakes, and don't feel you have to have it all sorted in one year. Also, things that seem small, grow. 🤣 Sonetimes it's actually hard to visualise and leave enough space.

Also, slugs are bastards.

😂