By Bethany Hayes
Flowers make a lovely addition to any garden, but you might think you have a brown thumb and can’t grow flowers. Try adding some of these easy flowers for beginner gardeners; they’re perfect for first-time gardeners or those who kill everything in their wake.
Did you know that you can add flowers to vegetable gardens? Companion planting with flowers can deter pests and encourage pollination. Don’t think that you can’t have the best of both worlds – you can.
Let’s take a look at the easy flowers for beginner gardeners to grow. You’ll love the color that these flowers add to your garden beds and containers.
12 Easy Flowers for Beginner Gardeners
Adding perennial and annual flowers to your garden is a good idea. Perennials generally require less care, and you can fill your garden with less work once established. Annuals add fun colors to your garden beds.
1. Sunflowers
You might be tempted not to grow sunflowers because they look complicated, especially the large, tall ones. Despite their size – some can reach up to 16 feet tall – sunflowers are all easy to grow and grow annual. You can find sunflowers in a range of colors; not all sunflowers are yellow! Some are pink, purple, and burgundy.
Growing sunflowers is easy. Most varieties are drought and heat tolerant and thrive in full sunlight. They do well in most soil types except soggy, water-logged soil. If you decide to grow the tall varieties, you might need extra support, or the stems might break.
Sunflowers bloom during the summer, typically towards the end of the growing season. The only bad thing about growing sunflowers is that their blooms only last a few weeks. During that time, their vibrant blossoms attract bees, birds, and butterflies.
2. Echinacea
Often called purple coneflowers, echinacea is a perennial flower depending on which zone you live. The most common color is purple, but coneflowers grow in yellow, orange, white, pink, and bicolor. If you live in USDA zones 3-9, you can grow coneflowers.
You can sow the seeds in the spring or fall outside, or you can start the seeds indoors before the final frost date. Echinacea needs rich, well-draining soil, but they tolerate drought and need to be planted in full sunlight.
Echinacea blooms for months, making them an excellent selection for a cut flower garden. They’re fragrant blossoms that attract pollinators and birds.
3. Marigolds
If you want to add flowers to your vegetable garden, marigolds are an excellent option, growing in yellow, gold, and red shades. They’re easy flowers to grow, blooming in spring, summer, and fall; one of the few annual flowers that grow for all three growing seasons.
You can grow marigolds from seeds or buy transplants at the store. They need to be planted in well-draining soil, but they do well in dry or sandy soil. Marigolds prefer to be watered well, allowing the soil to dry out between each watering. Plant them in full sunlight for the best results.
4. Zinnias
One of the first flowers you might want to add to your garden is zinnias. These are annuals that start small, but they will rapidly spread out in a glorious spread of blossoms. You can find zinnias in shades of red, orange, yellow, pink, and white.
Zinnias bloom throughout the summer into the early fall. They attract butterflies and other pollinators. Make sure you plant zinnias in rich, well-draining soil, and make sure you often water because they have moderate water requirements. They need to be grown in full sunlight.
5. Nasturtiums
Do you want to grow an edible flower? Nasturtiums are an edible flower with a peppery taste; you can toss it into salads for a pop of color and flavor. These are annual flowers that grow in orange, yellow, red, and cream.
Nasturtiums bloom from May until September, quickly growing and adding colorful pops throughout your vegetable garden. They need to be planted in well-draining soil and watered regularly, but make sure you don’t over-water your flowers. Make sure they are grown in full sunlight.
6. Dianthus
Dianthus comes in a range of colors; you can find these flowers in red, purple, pink, and white shades. They typically reach up to 20 inches tall, but some varieties grow up to 3 feet tall.
Dianthus are considered a showy flower with a deep, clove-like scent. The blooms appear from May to August with gorgeous evergreen foliage. You can add these flowers to rock gardens or as an edging flower around the border of your beds.
These flowers are deer resistant; if you have a deer problem, you should try to add these flowers. Make sure you plant them in well-draining soil and water when the soil is dry. Dianthus needs to be grown in full sunlight, but they do tolerate partial shade.
7. Cosmos
Here is another annual flower that can grow up to 60 inches tall. Cosmos come in orange, pink, and white, blooming in fall, summer, and spring. You can grow them from seeds rather than transplants if you prefer that route.
Cosmos need well-draining soil; they can grow in dry or sandy soil. Make sure to water the flowers well, but the ground needs to dry out before watering again. These flowers need to be grown in full sunlight.
8. Impatiens
You can grow impatiens in most USDA zones, but those in zones 10-11 can grow these flowers as perennial plants. They come in a range of colors from white to yellow. Adding them to your garden bed adds blooms and colors from June until the first frost in your area.
Impatiens grow well along the edges of a path or the edges of a garden bed. They grow best when in loamy soil, but if you keep them moist, impatiens grow well. These are one of the only flowers that can grow well in full shade – seriously!
9. Morning Glories
One of the most popular annual flowers is morning glories, and they come in white, purple, pink, red, and blue. Morning glories can reach up to 15 feet tall, blooming in late summer and early fall.
You should know that morning glories frequently self-sow, so you do need to be cautious where you plant them. You’ll need to provide a wall or trellis for the flowers to grow up. Also, these seeds are highly toxic, so make sure your kids don’t eat them.
When it comes to growing morning glories, they need moderately fertile, well-draining soil, and the flowers need to be watered weekly during dry periods. Make sure you pick a spot that receives full sunlight.
10. Daylilies
Many gardens have daylilies planted; these are perennials that grow for years to come. You can divide the root balls and add daylilies wherever you want them. Daylilies grow well in USDA zones 3-10 in shades of orange, yellow, red, pink, and purple. They’re tall – typically reaching up to 4 feet tall.
If you need easy flowers to grow, daylilies need to be added to your list. They’re virtually pest free, and they spread out to cover large areas. You can plant them in the spring, and they tolerate heat and humidity well.
Daylilies need to be planted in nutrient-dense, well-draining soil. They need deep watering throughout the summer, and be sure to grow them in full sunlight.
11. Daffodils
Here is another easy perennial flower to grow, appearing in yellow, orange, and white. Most reach heights between 6-30 inches, blooming in late winter or early spring.
Wherever you plant the daffodils, make sure that’s where you want them. While you can grow daffodils in garden beds or containers, they’ll continue to reappear each year. Daffodils mix well if you’re growing other spring-flowering bulbs. The bulbs need to be planted in the fall if you want the flowers to bloom in the spring.
Daffodils need to be planted in well-draining soil. They need to be water regularly throughout the spring and fall. Make sure the flowers grow in full sunlight or part shade.
12. Lavender
Is there any flower that is better known for its scent than lavender? Everyone loves the lavender scent, and if you want to use the dried flowers around your home, you need to grow lavender in your garden.
Lavender grows well in USDA zones 4-9, reaching up to 2 feet tall with flowers in different purple and lavender shades. Some varieties have blooms in various shades of white and pink.
Even though lavender is considered an herb, it’s a hardy plant that doesn’t need too much care. The blooms appear from late June to August, attracting all of the pollinators in the area. At the same time, you can use it to keep mosquitoes away.
Lavender needs to be planted in well-draining soil, and you want to make sure to water deeply but infrequently. This is a drought-tolerant plant that grows well in full sunlight.
Growing Easy Flowers in Your Garden
Not all flowers are complicated. You can find a range of easy flowers to grow for beginners. Whether you want a perennial that will come back year after year or an annual flower for a splash of interest, these 12 easy flowers for beginner gardeners are perfect for those who think they can’t grow plants. You can – these are simple!
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