Help please.

[susiewoosie]

My front garden hasn't been touched since I moved in last July. I know it was already a mess last March. I've finally started to tidy it up and have been removing lots of dandelion and clover as well as other weeds. My question is, when I have finished weeding should I put a manure mulch on it. Also would it be best just to put bedding plants in there this year and leave the shrubs / alpines til next year please?

[Two_Sheds]

Manure? No.
Annual flowers are 'designed' to have all the energy they need to grow, flower and die in one summer. A lot of them actually prefer poor soil.

Manure would be for greedy feeders (veg) and perennials like roses.

[Two_Sheds]

would it be best just to put bedding plants in there this year and leave the shrubs / alpines til next year please?

Depends on what you want. What's your soil like, what direction does it face? Mine is north-facing and alkaliney, so that limits what I can grow.

I have a couple of shrubs that have moved house with me, so they are going in. The rest of the garden is slowly being turned from lawn into borders ... I am filling up with annuals until I know what to put in long-term.

[susiewoosie]

Soil looks quite nice actually considering, full of lovely worms. Its south facing and I wanted some pieris in there as well.

I've got about 4 packets of flower seeds that I've got free with stuff so maybe start with them just to give some colour.