Summer Flowers

I have been playing around with some photos of flowers...and sneezing as I take pics. They are around for such a short time and it takes so much work to keep them looking nice, that I thought I would snap a few pics to keep them around a bit longer. I just ordered a new digital SLR, and I am super excited to start taking pics with it as soon as possible. I'm hoping that I can master lighting and exposure times with a little effort. Any of you who have experience in that area(Julie, Amy, anyone else??), feel free to help me along with advice!