Hi folks. I'm a bit of a novice gardener, having acquired a fairly mature
garden with many shrubs and roses and a few "beds". I put in a few small
shrubs to fill some gaps last autumn and they seem to be doing OK because I
followed the advice and suggestions of the chap at the nursery as to
position, etc..

I want to grow some colourful flowers in the rather empty (and weedy!) beds
this summer, and I thought, say, marigolds and cornflowers, on the basis
that they're fairly foolproof and I grew these successfully as a kid! If I
dig and lay down a good level of new compost, when do I sow the seeds, and
can I sow them direct into the ground?

Also I've had a bit of a problem with slugs, so does a scattering of slug
pellets among the seedlings work?

Any other ideas for fairly tough, colourful long-flowering annuals I can
fill my blank spaces with? Preferably from seed, 'cos it's cheaper! I have
to say that I generally can't tell one plant from another, and I'm on a huge
learning curve!

Thanks for any advice and help. I know I can read a couple of books, but
it's always better to get suggestions from real people.

Barb (Staffordshire)