From the standpoint of not doing anything more than opening a pack of seeds (flowers) and tossing them in a prepared bed and watering, what are some of your favorites to recommend?

Last summer I planted some Blue Mist Flower transplants. They bloomed up quickly and attracted lots of butterflies right off. I now have over 50 seedlings coming up, and that is after thinning.

Actually, I'm thinking more of annuals from seed packets. Something that requires no work to get established other than ripping open the package, throwing the seeds on the bed, maybe lightly raking and watering...and that's it.

Alyssum, Marigolds, Zinnias and Moss Rose all come in very easy by seed and would be put out in that order. As early as Valentines Day you can seed the Alyssum. The rest (except moss rose) at the middle to last third of March will do fine, seed moss rose in April.

I prep with sifted compost, then place the seed and cover with more sifted compost. Then tamp the soil lightly and water a bit each day to keep it just moist until they get their first set of leaves. After that, you can start backing the water off.

Thanks, Scott