Check out Mid-Atlantic Home Landscaping by Roger Holmes and Greg Grant. It is published by Creative Homeonwers and will provide you with both a list of plants and many plans for planting. It seems to me that I bought my copy at one of the big box stores, Lowes, I think.

I have this book already,but wanted more input. Thanks though.

30 years ago I moved into this house. The following year I grew Shasta Daisies, Foxglove, Purple Cone Flower, and Gloriosa Daisies from seed. I still have them and couldn't imagine a garden without.

I've added azalea, hosta, columbine, coral bells (both green and purple leaf), Balloon Flower, Coreopsis, Maiden Pinks, Bleeding Heart and countless more via 'winter sowing'.

After winter sowing for several years and amassing more perennials than I ever dreamed possible, now I'm in the process of removing the 'short term bloomers'--the perennials that just don't bloom long enough (or pretty enough) to justify their space in the garden.

I don't have any 'full sun' but have plenty of 'dry shade'. The front of the house is shaded by water sucking Silver Maples so just growing grass is a challenge--Yews and Hosta are all the decoration that survives. The back yard gets 6-8 hours of traveling sun, though some parts only get dawn and sunset rays.

Annuals--snapdragons, Impatiens, petunias (the usuals)

My best advice is to check the library for books on annuals and perennials to first determine what flowers appeal to you. Then go on line and send for seed catalogs! Parks seed catalog not only has fantastic pictures, the plant info is as good as many books.

Here is a link that might be useful: Winter Sowing Forum