Hi, 

Before digging in these locations you will definitely want to call MISS UTILITY to mark for any current utilities if you are doing the planting. It appears to be a utility cover or man hole in the second photo, but it is a small file size and we cannot zoom in on it. 

For amending the soil, it may be difficult to do any removal but if you can incorporate organic matter or compost in the planting area, that will make it more suitable for flower seeds or transplants. You may be able to cover the turf now with wood chips to prepare the soil for spring planting. Wood chips will help to smother the existing grass which will add organic content as it breaks down. The chips or mulch will be actively decomposing adding additional organic matter. It will probably be easier to do this technique than digging or tilling in soil amendments into the existing soil. You will not run the risk of hitting wires or cables and in time the soil will become less compacted and more "workable". 

For plants - 

Below are a few examples of the more showy native annuals, though some blooms are still fairly tiny compared to commonly-grown non-native annuals like geraniums, marigolds, etc. Botanical names are in italics.

• Orange Jewelweed (Impatiens capensis) and Yellow Jewelweed (Impatiens pallida)

• Indian-tobacco (Lobelia inflata)

• Purple False Foxglove (Agalinis purpurea)

• Black-eyed Susan (specifically Rudbeckia hirta, since several Rudbeckia species are called Black-eyed Susan)

• Partridge Pea (Chamaecrista fasciculata)

• Forked Bluecurls (Trichostema dichotomum)

• American Bellflower (Campanula americana) - annual or biennial (living for two years before self-seeding)

• Smooth Beggarticks (Bidens laevis)

• Yellow Corydalis (Corydalis flavula)

• Rockspray Cotoneaster (Cotoneaster horizontalis) – fairly low-growing

• St. Johnswort (Hypericum calycinum) – low-growing

• Common Juniper (Juniperus communis), Shore Juniper (Juniperus conferta), and Creeping Juniper (Juniperus horizontalis) – evergreen; the Common is native, though mainly north of MD; all three are ground-hugging

• Potentilla (Potentilla fruticosa )

• Seaside Goldenrod (Solidago sempervirens) – native

• Adam's-needle Yucca (Yucca filamentosa) – native; evergreen
  

• Eastern Prickly-pear Cactus (Opuntia humifusa) – native; evergreen; ground-hugging

• Sweetfern (Comptonia peregrina) - native

• Butterfly Weed (Asclepias tuberosa) - native

• Panic/Switch Grass (Panicum) - native - choose a low growing variety like 'Shenandoah'

• Blue False Indigo (Baptisia australis) - native

• Ice Plant (Delosperma) – fairly evergreen; ground-hugging

• Sea Kale (Crambe maritima)

• Blue Lyme Grass (Leymus arenarius)

• Moss Phlox (Phlox subulata) – native; evergreen; ground-hugging

• Creeping Thyme (Thymus serphyllum) – fairly evergreen; ground-hugging

• Bearberry (Arctostaphylos uva-ursi) – native; evergreen; ground-hugging

• Blanket Flower (Gaillardia) – low-growing

• Fragrant Sumac (Rhus aromatica, including variety 'Gro-Low') – fairly low-growing

• Lamb's-ears (Stachys byzantina) – somewhat evergreen; low-growing

Let us know if you have further questions. 

Emily