Gardeners' Question Time

Among the many things distracting me from work today is the delightful thought of once again having a garden to play with. I have been scrolling through online seed catalogues and browsing tree suppliers. And, very excitingly, I have submitted a question to Gardeners' Question Time for one of their potting shed programmes.

But I know there are at least a few knowledgeable and keen gardeners on my flist, so I'll ask you the same question:

I have a new (tiny) cottage in rural Staffordshire with a new garden. There's good loamy soil. The garden is in two parts, one of which is south-facing but in most of it is in deep shade from the house opposite. The other is north-facing. Each area is about 15' x 10' (Edit: I think it is actually bigger than this, but I'm just guessing from the photos and my memory at the moment) and at the moment it is completely bare.

I'm looking for cheap, low maintenance plants (I will only be at the cottage occasionally) that are quick to establish and pretty to look at. In particular, I'd like to plant one or two medium size trees (preferably not conifers).

What would the panel recommend?

I didn't say in the question, but I think I really am aiming for a proper cottage garden style if possible. I'd love a fruit tree, but I'm just not sure there's anywhere with quite enough sun. Maybe right at the end of the wall.