I live in suburban central New Jersey (USA). Just a block from my house, there's a footbridge which spans a ravine. Fifty years ago there were railroad tracks at the bottom of this ravine, but now there's just a muddy rut; the sides of the ravine have little on them but sparse weeds.
Earlier today I was walking this footbridge, and it occurred to me that I could make a beautiful gift to my community by seeding the ravine soil with some sort of colorful flower. I imagine walking over the bridge in midsummer and having the gentle scent of flowers envelop me. Meanwhile, a vibrant carpet unfolding on the ravine walls beneath.
I know next to nothing about flowers though. What would be a hardy, colorful, gently scented, perennial flower that grows well in central NJ soil, especially a relatively steep slope? (If nothing fits all these specifics, feel free to match just a couple of them!)
Thanks so much for your help! John in NJ