Centennial Gardening - Fabulous Flowers

After a long winter, there’s nothing quite like the prospect of an abundance of bright, beautiful flowers popping up in the forecast. And whether you’re starting from scratch or adding to a garden you’ve had for years, this is the time to amp up the color with the help of a few seed packets, bulbs and cuttings.

But if you’re seeking some inspiration before the perspiration that comes with digging in, look no further. Here, we tour a variety of plots—full sun, partial shade, coastal, sloped and more—and get expert advice about the plants that work best in each. We check in with a couple who grows more than 50 kinds of roses and another gardener who has a fair number of butterfly- attracting monarda. We even pop by a “kid-friendly” space where hardy-but-handsome flowers bravely stand by a soccer goal.

In short, we’ve got time- tested flower solutions that are right for almost any problem area, so that you, too, can stop and smell the roses (or dahlias or geraniums)!