For many of us, a flower garden is a “must have” addition to our home. It’s beautiful, it’s therapeutic (what is there to worry about when you are happily digging in the dirt?) and, it’s a guarantee that a smile will come to your face each and every time you look at it.

Having a successful garden takes planning! The first thing you need to do is to divide your space into sections and then see how much (or how little) sun each area gets. Measuring the sun exposure in your garden is crucial. Some flowering plants need a great deal of sunlight in order to thrive while others only do well in shade.

Have you ever noticed those tags on annuals and perennials at your local garden center? Well, “full sun” is defined as six hours of direct sunlight and a western exposure will give you the most sunlight. “Partial sun” or “partial shade” means that your plants will need three to six hours of sunlight at the very least.

Just a few of the loveliest sun-loving perennials are: lilies, delphinium, salvia, coreopsis, Shasta daisy, bee balm, veronica and dahlias. You’ll want to add some sun-loving annuals to your garden, too. Some of the showiest include: geraniums, zinnias, marigolds, petunias and, not surprisingly, sunflowers.

But, what do you do if you have an extremely shady area in your garden? Not to worry. There are many beautiful flowering shade plants, many of which will thrive in full or partial shade. Some very popular shade perennials include: hosta, astilbe, bleeding heart and ferns. Shade loving (or tolerating) annuals which will flower nearly all season long include such beauties as: begonias, impatiens and lobelia.

Two things will help you as a gardener when it comes to choosing the right plant for the right place. First, read the tag on the plant to find out where it will thrive. Second, talk to the experts at your local garden center. They’ll help you to make the best selections to have an amazingly beautiful garden this season.