I've given up for this season

Wave petunias are great for baskets. I don't think you have to dead head these.  If I were considering pulling up everything in the fall, that's what I would do but cover the area with black plastic to keep anything from growing back.  Then early spring I would order or buy a truckload of 3 or 4 way soil to add to the soil you have.  Sometimes they only allow you to buy a sh#t load but most nurseries will let you buy by the truck (pick up) load or bags.  Incorporate it thoroughly into the soil.  If you don't know what seeds you are planting, try doing it in a pot first. However, when it comes to vines, be very careful cause some will totally take over.  I like honeysuckle for hummingbirds but I stake them up and watch them so they don't overgrow. Most all vines need to be staked up on something, trellis, fence, wire, net etc.  I know how you feel when you want a landscaper. I hope you have some help with the garden cause I don't and it looks like it.  You can go onto web sites that let you plan out your own landscaping and other sites that carry perennials or annuals.  Perennials come back every year but most don't bloom all summer.  That is where annuals are the color blessing for all of us.  Many sites will show you what to plant in shade, or full sun and in between... Established gardens carry both perennial and color spots. Perennials are great for back ground. Bulbs are great but short lived and can be used as a background too so it hides the dying greens from bulbs (don't pull out dying greens as they feed the bulb for next year).  Figure out if you want to attract birds, butterflies or nothing.  A water sound is also great near a patio or backdoor with herbs or annuals and attracts birds.

You didn't mention if your site is sunny or shady, wet or dry.  Different types of plants only thrive in certain conditions.  Beginning with new soil is a good idea.  You don't even have to do any digging.  When the plants growing there now die down in the fall, just pull them (and any weeds) up and and bags or a truckload, depending on the size of your area of landscape mix to a depth of about 4 or 5  inches.  Mix in a couple of bags of worm castings (you can find at many garden stores), some kelp meal - about a cup for every 25 square feet of area and the same amount of bone meal.  Then add vermiculite to the area (about 1 part vermiculite to 3 or 4 parts soil mix) and mix everything in well.  You don't have to wait until spring to plant perennial plants.  Most garden centers and online catalogs recommend planting perennial plants in the fall.  To find out what type of plant grows well in your climate zone, if it needs sun or shade, or wet or dry conditions, I recommend using online catalog, such as Wayside Gardens (you can also go to davesgarden.com to get a list of recommended online nurseries/catalogs).  Go ahead and plant the perennials you choose in the fall, then, in the spring you can add annual bedding plants to fill in until the perennials fill out completely.  It's much easier if you can look at the plant online and read about the plant requirements of the plant to get an idea of how you want your garden to look.