Flower gardens can turn an ordinary area into a colorful showcase or create a border that pops. Whether you choose an easy to manage perennial or a particularly touchy annual, growing flowers is a rewarding addition to any yard or landscape.

Selecting the right plants for your flower garden is often a matter of preference, but with so many species and varieties available it can be mind-boggling. Whether planting perennials or annuals, preparing the soil in advance will help your plants flourish (see Building Healthy Soil). Annuals will probably be less picky about where they live since they will only be around for about a year. However, the better the growing conditions, the better the plant will fare.

If you are starting with a bare or weedy spot of land, you’ll need to start at the beginning. Determine the area for your flower bed and start digging. Remove all surface weeds along with rocks and roots. Next, dig some more — double dig that is. To double dig a garden bed, dig a trench the width of the garden to 2 shovel depths. Set the soil off to the side. Then, dig another trench next to the first one, dumping the soil into the first trench.

When starting plants from seed, be sure that your soil has been adequately prepared. Dig a small hole in the ground according to the directions on the seed packet (usually about twice the depth of the seed) and drop in a couple of seeds. Cover with soil and water gently, but thoroughly. Be sure to keep the soil moist as the seed sprouts.