Exciting for you but patience is needed to avoid making big mistakes.
The first thing I would do is to take photographs from all angles, especially from the house. Make a note of the basic layout of your new plot and its size and note north as this will affect the amount of sun each bed or border receives. Then, I'm afraid, you need to sit back and wait and watch to see what bulbs and early perennials appear this spring then thru summer and into autumn. We can help identify ones you don't recognise if you post photos.
Check out which shrubs and trees are already there and when they flower and fruit as that affects when, if at all, they should be pruned.
As all this appears, make notes of what you like and what you don't and what you want to increase, add or remove.
Keep an eye out for obvious weeds such as nettles, thistles, dock, buttercup, couch grass, bindweed, ground elder, marestail and hoik those out with their roots as you go. Let them dry out completely in the sun before they go on a compost heap or else put them in the green waste bin for collection. You can also dunk nettles in covered buckets of water (for the smell) and make a liquid fertiliser for leafy plants as it will contain plenty of nitrogen.
For veggies, raised beds are a good idea as they make access and management very easy so follow the advice above. Most need good sunlight so site them carefully.
Most of all, enjoy it and make sure you pace yourself. Sowing seeds and nurturing them is very rewarding and when you have more experience and get to know your garden, cuttings and divisions are a great way to increase stock for yourself or to swap with friends and neighbours.
Talk the neighbour gardeners where you can and find out what they know about the local conditions. This is the best way to save money too - local plant sales, swapping seeds, cuttings and produce. How do they handle the soil, where are the best suppliers of manure, wood, bark, gravel etc, what are the free local sources, what's the wind like, what services to the council offer that could be useful?
Also, check your local Freecycle/swap groups etc for freestuff going - logs, gravel, plants, top soil, paving. Stuff in the way that you don't want (like gravel) often just seems a plain pain and gardeners will often pay to have it taken away. Find your local Open Gardens and nose about.
You could also think about subscribing to a weekly mag like Garden News, which I think is only around £4.50 a month. You get a free packet of seeds each week and advice on what to do when.
Hallo Daydream and welcome to the forum. Obelix's advice to wait and see what comes up is wise. Perennials and bulbs disappear underground for the winter and if you start digging now, you may damage them. This forum has a seed swap thread so look at that before you spend money. I can let you have marigold and fennel seeds which you can sow straight in the ground and they are foolproof. Send me your address in a private message if you'd like some. Also look on Freecycle for gardening equipment and materials, though IME they get snapped up so you have to respond quickly!
Thank you so much, that's so kind of you - will definitely send you a message... once I figure out how
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