All you need to do to design your rose and flower garden in a way that will spark a conversation is to unearth your imagination.

"First decide what you want your garden to say, then figure out what tools you'll need to bring it to life," says Bayer Advanced™ Garden Expert Lance Walheim, author of the best-selling book "Roses for Dummies." "If you put your personality into your garden, chances are you'll come up with something that you'll be proud of that will get your friends and neighbors talking."

Here are some simple ways to create a conversation garden:

• Come up with a theme-An aromatherapy garden, butterfly garden, hummingbird garden, rose garden or even feng shui are just some of the options gardeners have available to them. Also, pick your colors carefully. Work within a specific palette of colors, then use complementary and contrasting hues to create drama and harmony.

• Cultivate character-Use accents like birdbaths, water features, sundials, antique tools, benches, outdoor art, trellises or sculpture, or simply put some of your plants in big pots to add another dimension to your horticultural collection.

• Reach for the stars with your roses-Are you a country music fan? Consider Dolly Parton or Barbara Mandrell roses. If the silver screen is more your style, try growing Audrey Hepburn or Cary Grant roses. If you've got a taste for fine cuisine, you can't go wrong with roses named for master chef Julia Child.

• Use foliage wisely-Mix and match plants with bold and fine textures to give your garden seasonlong beauty.

• Keep your garden looking beautiful for years-Once you plant the perfect conversation garden, make sure pests and diseases aren't what your neighbors talk about. Bayer Advanced™ All-in-One Rose & Flower Care contains an insecticide, fertilizer and fungicide. There's no spraying-just mix and pour around the base of the plant-and enjoy your pest-free roses for six weeks.

Stacey Moore