To help gardeners choose flowers, various systems for rating hardiness have been developed. A plant is considered hardy in a region if it can grow and thrive there without requiring special protective measures such as insulating with straw mulch.

Sun or Shade: After hardiness, sunlight is your most important consideration. Choose flowers that are adapted to the light levels in your garden. Don't plant sun lovers under dense trees, and don't plant shade lovers where they'll be exposed to blazing mid-day sun. Plant descriptions give the light preferences for plants, so take these to heart. You may be able to grow a sun lover in partial shade, but you may get fewer flowers or weaker growth. Place it in a spot where it can really shine!

Each year literally hundreds of new annual flowers are presented to gardeners. Some are distinct improvements based on the region where the flower was cultivated and some are not.

Inside each cell in green plants are microscopic worlds that trap and convert some of the energy in light, mix it with water and carbon dioxide, and turn it into a simple sugar. It is this sugar that plants use to grow, flower, and set seed. The best light for plant growth is sunlight. But almost since the invention of electric lights, researchers and gardeners have tested various methods to study plants and grow them.

Artificial sunlight has the great advantage of being controllable. Whereas some days might be too sunny or cold or windy to provide the right light for delicate seedlings, the intensity and duration of artificial light can be fine-tuned. However, for the typical gardener and flower grower, mother nature provides all the sunshine, water and elements needed to grow beautiful flowers.

Enjoy yourself in your garden!