If you are a novice flower gardener, I would recommend some Sweet William to get your garden started. It’s a biennial, which means the plant comes up the first year and the flowers the second. It’s sturdy and easy to grow with minimal effort. The soil should be loose and well drained (don’t have a pH above 6.75). In fact, they enjoy moist-to-slightly dry soil. The rows should be planted about a foot apart. Oh, and they really don’t like weeds! Sweet Williams like full sun but are okay with light shade.
What’s even better is with their vivid colors and distinctive scent they will be a great flower for you to cut and fill some vases around the house. You can harvest them when just a few flowers are open on a head and get a good two weeks of enjoyment indoors.