Beginner Gardening: Establishing a new wildflower bed, 1 by Hank_B

Hank_B wrote:
I live in Northern Virginia (Zone 7). I'm converting an area of my lawn to a wildflower bed and am trying to determine what I can expect in terms of flower growth this season. I laid newspapers over the grass and then covered that area with soil. I've listed the species planted below. I've gotten conflicting information from Master Gardeners, the seed company, and other research I've done regarding when flowering might occur. Essentially, I'd like to know: Can I expect any of these to flower this year or will I need to wait until next year? If they won't flower this year, what can I plant that will hold the dirt in place and prevent weeds in the meanwhile? Keep in mind that I'll be working with seed either way. Since I'm covering turf grass, there's a layer of decomposing grass under the dirt you can see in the picture meaning that I won't be digging holes in the bed. I haven't planted any of these seeds yet.

Thanks for any help!

1. Helianthus annuus (Sunflower 'Sunspot')
2. Helenium autumnale (Autumn Sneezeweed)
3. Aster novae-angliae (New England Aster)
4. Solidago canadensis (Canada Goldenrod)
5. Verbena hastata (Blue Vervain)
6. Monarda fistulosa (Wild Bergamot)
7. Asclepias tuberosa (Butterfly Weed)
8. Achillea millefolium (White Yarrow)- will be planted in the whisky barrel
9. Penstemon digitalis (Foxglove Beardtongue)
10. Asclepias syriaca (Common Milkweed) - will be planted in the whisky barrel