"Blend plants for the longest season of color, artfully mix in different plant textures, shapes and sizes, and work within a well-established color theme," says Bayer Advanced™ Garden Expert Lance Walheim, author of "Landscaping for Dummies."

It's not always about blooming plants. Dramatic foliage, bright berries or fruit, and even colorful branches can all contribute dramatic hues.

Here's a checklist for planning a colorful garden bed:

• Annuals. Quick-blooming annuals are the all-important fillers in the flower bed. Use them wherever there's room. Plant pansies, violas, calendulas and primroses for spring and fall color, then follow up with such heat lovers as zinnias, marigolds and vinca.

• Bulbs. Spring bulbs such as tulips and daffodils provide carefree color year after year, but don't forget the summer bloomers including dahlias and canna. Also consider planting low-growing annuals and perennials on top of the bulbs. They'll create a colorful carpet the bulbs will push through and bloom above.

• Perennials. Count on these to be the workhorse of your bed. Campanula, dianthus, geranium and phlox for spring and early summer; yarrow, coreopsis, daylilies and rudbeckia for midsummer; and asters, pennstemon and mums for fall. Don't forget the great foliage plants such as ornamental grasses, hostas and artemisia.

• Shrubs. Shrubs are the backbone and backdrop of the flower border. Plants such as shrub roses, viburnum and dwarf crepe myrtles provide structure and organization and can contribute a long season of color and interest. Their foliage makes everything else stand out and look more dramatic. Look for plants that bring long seasons of color beyond bloom. There are colorful foliaged barberries, bright-fruited rugosa roses and viburnums and shrubs like crepe myrtles and serviceberry with stunning fall foliage color. Plants with showy branches such as the red-twigged dogwood can provide color in winter.

You can protect all your flowers and shrubs from insects and diseases and feed them too with the help of Bayer Advanced All-In-One Rose & Flower Care. Just mix with water and pour around the base of the plant. Apply every six weeks for protection. Always read and follow label instructions.

You can learn more by visiting www.bayeradvanced.com or by calling (877) BAYERAG.

When you get down to it, few things can enhance the look of your home more than flowers.