It's an easy and inexpensive way to landscape if you follow some simple rules.
Grasses help hold the soil while the flowers become established.
To prepare small areas, remove existing weeds with a sharp hoe or mower, then follow with very shallow roto-tilling or simply hand raking. After 2-3 weeks, when this second crop of weeds is up, mow or scrape the new weeds off at ground level. Most direct-sown garden flowers do best in soils of low to medium fertility. However, if your site consists of subsoil which has shown poor results in past attempts with flowers, consider a soil test to determine exactly what nutrients might be needed and how much. If the planting will depend entirely upon rainfall for germination and growth, sow in anticipation of the rainy season.