Clean Slate For My Flower Gardens

Thanks to the hard work of my boyfriend Ross, I know have two flower beds that are ready for a restart.  The people who owned the house before I bought it - well lets just say they had a green thumb.  I have spent the past 5 Summers just trying to learn how to manage everything - Raspberry's, Cherry & Apple Trees, Roses, Perennials, Vegetables, you name it. Now I am at the point where I was ready to take out some of the stuff they had done, and I want to put it what I want! But that's where I need your help!What the heck do I plant?  The front space is about 5 feet by 20 feel, part of it has almost full sun, and party of it is half sun/ half shade. The back space is all sun and is a circle with an 8 feet diameter.   I  like to cut flowers during the summer for inside decoration, and I tend to lean towards purple/pink flowers with not a ton of green.  Anyone have some great suggestions for me?