I would recommend a discussion with her before you start digging.
Should your wife decide she does indeed want to share time in the garden, perhaps since she opts for order and beauty, she may like Parterre or knot gardening. Very structured, formal and can be any size you have space for. It can be composed of a variety of plants/small shrubs/flowers...
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/...
http://www.womansweekly.com/ga...
http://www.almanac.com/content...
http://www.hgtv.com/design/out...
And, finally if she enjoys cooking with fresh herbs, perhaps she would enjoy a small herb knot garden.
http://www.gardeningknowhow.co...