Starting Out

OK. So I'm sort of getting the gist of this. Thought I'd add some garden history and information. When we bought this place about 15 years ago it had 3 garden beds and lots of lawn. Now it has 13 beds of varying shapes and sizes and two vege gardens. It still has lots of lawn, which was mainly dirt and rocks until our recent downpours. We are on a hill overlooking the Macquarie river flats and a pleasant valley of rolling hills with a mountain range in the distance - a lovely view from our large back lawn.
Decisions about what to plant and where to establish beds fell largely to the lay of the land. I used to be a purist when it came to plants - natives only, but as I get older and realise that gardening time has its limits, I am happy to give any plant that appeals to me a go. I have developed a love for roses, one of the toughest drought and heat-tolerant plants you can grow here. I now have over 150 different rose bushes with 15 more ordered for this year. I feel a new garden bed coming on!
Paths now wind through my garden leading to various areas. I developed strong muscles shovelling and barrowing over 10 tonnes of gravel to make them over about 6 years. We also have a gazebo, a greenhouse, a red telephone box and a 1937 petrol bowser as features. I'll add some photos so you get a bit of an overview of the place.