how to connect edges seemlessly?

This would be my next question: what makes you think the shapes need to share borders? What problems do you think overlapping shapes are causing/will cause?

Oh perfect, thank you! This is mostly it! The little problem though, is that the shapes dont all overlap. Some shapes have spaces between them because I couldnt trace one edge against another perfectly. I guess I'll have to overlap all of them, to use this method you show. It gets a little confusing where things are when they're overlapping though. I wish I could have edges join that are not touching, and have the colors remain seperate in the shapes as this method you show.

Also, I am trying to turn the illustrator file into a Jpeg to show you, but the only option is PDF, this site wont allow the PDF. Is there a way to make it a Jpeg?

Thank you! But, the painting is very complex, tonal, and blended, so the live paint would, I think, turn out way too complex. I guess I could have it just do a few colors, but I need to control that in the drawing, because I know which petals I want to keep, and which to discard, so I'm drawing them. I also find that I have this same problem frequently while drawing, because I'm a painter, and I'm painting over tons of colors with edges of shapes, so I kind of want to learn to do it manually, to understand how to manipulate edges, and use live paint later. But you're right, it is extra steps, if Illustrator knew what I wanted to keep and not keep in the flower.