Do not over-fertilize, which can cause excess foliage growth at the expense of flowers. Rake the bed smooth and remove any stones, clods or old plant debris before planting. Direct-Seeding Figure 1. Recommended planting procedure. Seeds of annual flowers vary in their hardiness and ability to germinate under certain soil temperatures.
Hardy annuals can be direct-seeded in early spring.
Read the seed packet for correct planting depth. Distribute the seed in the furrow and cover very lightly with soil or, if your soil tends to crust over, with a fine layer of vermiculite. Vermiculite will not crust over as soil often does and it allows better seedling establishment. Water the planting site with a fine mist to prevent washing away the seed. Keep the bed moist until the seeds germinate.