Question One:
We're on a corner and have a plot about 15' long 5' wide behind our garage and on the side of the neighbor's house/fence that we actually own... The width side faces west. It gets a decent amount of light and heat in the summer. It's really far from any source of water and at the moment quite the bed for weeds - which can be taken care of with digging mulch etc. WHAT TO PLANT ON IT? I've already got what i need for veg (mostly just simple salad veg) and am starting perennials on the side as is.
Question Two:
Ok so the city owns a lot of the land on the side of our house which is on a corner. It's huge...About 75 feet in length and 15 deep towards the house on a semi-steep slope and is currently covered with weeds and grass except for the 18x15 plot I've already dug over..any ideas for cheap cheap cheap and easy perennials and ground cover I wouldn't mind leaving or giving up to the parks and rec dept? Half is full sun, half is shaded by a lovely ash tree! all facing west.

I am currently working on my city-owned plot between the sidewalk and the street at the front of our yard. My husband and I rented a sod cutter and will peel back the weed layer and then plant a wildflower mix. There are different ideas on the subject and the purists will tell you to get as many native species as you can and not to introduce too many exotics since some may be invasive. I don't know where you are located, but I am in the arid nothern rocky mountains and my choice was a native xeriscape mix that will require water 2-3 times a week to get established and then MAYBE water once a week for the rest of the summer. In the fall I just mow it down and the perennials will hopefully come back next year and some of the annuals should reseed and come back too. I hope it works - the folks at Garden City Seeds helped me out with seed choice, planting, growing, and maintenence advice.

If you don't go for the wildflower prairie idea, you could introduce clover, chamomile, or even moss in the shady area. These all make nice ground covers and are a great alternative to turf. There is a great book called "How To Get Your Lawn Off Grass" that I am currently reading - really great ideas in there too. Good luck!

Cheap and easy ground covers, achillea is an invasive, but beautiful ground cover that requires no care and can be mowed frequently and still thrive...spreads even more rapidly if you let it go to seed...comes in lots of nice colors, too. How about blueberry and amelanchier bushes alongside your house, or maybe some lovely currants and gooseberries, maybe elderberries?

I can think of three things for along the fence. One would be a cutting garden of flowers to keep your vases full. Another would be to plant veggies for a local food bank. I know there was a program called plant a row for the hungry and you could plant a whole bed to help others. Finally, if you live anywhere near me, I'd be happy to use that extra space so you would not be burdened by it (heh, heh, heh).

Cheap and dry - my motto for plants and for champagne.

I have no idea what your zone is, but how about a Med/Tuscan garden? Rosemary as groundcover will smell spactacular, need very little water, and should fill in wihout any maintenance. Lavenders are about $4 in one-gallon cans and will triple in no time. Also, I'm all about salvias. With all the foreign and exotic and creepy and historic plants my husband acquires, the salvias are still my all-around favorites. Butterfly bushes would be nice for some height, just hack them up a bit once a year (when is a matter of controversy). All these are very drought-tolerant, though in year one you may feel a need to water once or twice a week - but if you can drag a hose with the appropriate sprinkler head over there, it won't be too much labor.