For more traditional gardens

For more traditional gardens, many salvias are blooming in shades of blue and purple.

The delicate gaura's white or pink blooms float on long thin stems.

Lantanas are blooming in a wide range of colors that attract butterflies and hummingbirds.

Verbena also attracts butterflies and blooms all summer

How to make a flower garden

Visit other gardens: Especially any Botanic Gardens in your area to see how plants perform in your climate and soil. Many BGs offer classes in basic horticultural techniques and have plant sales in the spring. Open Garden Tours and other schemes offer the opportunity to see how different gardeners address their sites.

Walk: Get to know you property, learn what's already growing there(if for no other reason than you might find plants you want to preserve) what is growing there already can teach you a lot about the condition of your soil, your climate etcetc. Try to find the "genius of the place"(Alexander Pope, I believe,)your gardening will be much more enjoyable if you work with the land than against it.

Daydream: Picture in your mind your garden 10 years in the future- is it cool and calming, jivvy, abundant, spare? Do you need room for kids to play, for adults to play? Lots of birds, butterflies and other beasties?Are you there mostly in the evenings? Etc etc This will help you make your decisions now.