For a colorful garden that lasts throughout the growing season, you need to plan ahead. Most flowers will not bloom continuously, so strategize by using plants with different bloom times, as well as some frequent bloomers like lobelia and geraniums. Make sure that any information you read applies to your zone. I live in zone 6, so things you plant may have different bloom times than they do in my garden.

Crocus bulbs are easy to plant, perennial, and will be the first to welcome spring. In March, with snow still falling occasionally, my little crocuses are already blooming, adding some color to the otherwise lifeless flowerbed. Crocuses are a good value. You can purchase a large bag of bulbs cheaply, and they will last indefinitely. The only caveat is that you will need to remember where you planted them. Crocuses die off early in the year, but you don't want to damage the bulbs by putting something else in the soil. If you don't want a bare space in your flowerbed, use that spot for a piece of statuary or a planter.

Tulips bloom early as well, and are technically perennial. They follow the crocus and will add some color just as the crocuses are losing theirs. For the best tulips, you should dig the bulbs at the end of the season and plant them in the spring. If left in the ground, they will eventually die. An untended tulip bulb lasts 2-4 years.

Irises are a spring favorite. The bold, beautiful flowers will make their appearance soon after the tulips have faded. Unlike tulips, they will not die of natural causes if left in the ground. One could say irises are actually too hardy for their own good; they will over overpopulate, forming solid clumps of rhizomes that are then prone to fungus. Every three to five years, you will need to dig your iris bulbs and divide the clumps. You will have plenty to give away to friends, family, and neighbors.

Some cultivars of iris will bloom again in the fall, but most will be done blooming in late spring or early summer. The green foliage will remain throughout the season, and is an attractive feature in its own right. My irises usually stay green throughout the year, although this one was an exception.

The summer months are a good time to plant annuals like petunias and marigolds. Geraniums and lobelia are sold as annuals, but are actually perennials. If you plant pots of lobelia and geraniums, you can enjoy them now and bring them in during the winter months. My geraniums

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