You've got to start somewhere @mira, it all takes time. Mine was a completely naked half acre with an asbestos box sitting in the middle of it twenty years ago.
The one good thing about being off work during treatment for a couple of years was the extra time it gave me to work on the garden. Most of the plants have come from markets, scratch-and-dent trolleys at nurseries, friends gardens or are selfseeding annuals. I got 30 metres of mulch last year for a box of beer (a strategic offer to the council tree crew on a hot Friday afternoon) which has been a key component of the Redneck Rehab program as well as helping to keep the weeds down and drought proof the place a bit. 50 rose bushes may be getting a bit carried away and the new native section is, perhaps, a step too far but it's lovely to be surrounded by plants