Congrats on your new move and enthusiasm for a new garden. You can start preparing the soil as soon as the ground is not frozen and the soil dry enough so that you can walk on it without sinking in. Just layer compost on top of the old soil and dig it in so that it mixes with the top six inches of old soil. Check your local municipal for compost made from yard scraps in your area. You can also buy compost and steer manure in plastic bags from a garden center. Many flowers will thrive in your area but for beginners I would suggest the heat tolerant rudbeckias, sedum autumn joy, ornamental grasses, verbenas, spreading petunias like the Storm varieties and the shrub or landscape roses such as Flower carpet, Knock out or the new Sweet Spot roses. I would put heat loving herbs like rosemary and basil in pots or raised beds in this garden area. This will give them the excellent drainage they need. Herbs do not need as much fertilizer and compost as the flowering plants. Now dig in and be sure to send us photos of your blooming success. Keep growing, Marianne Binetti