Building a flower garden is a great way to add color and life to your outdoor space. Imagine being greeted by fragrant blooms every morning or being surrounded by colorful flowers while relaxing outside! A flower garden also adds fragrance to the air, which enhances the beauty of your outdoor space even further. You can also cut and collect different flowers from your garden to add splashes of colors to your home.
For the uninitiated, growing a couple of flowering plants may seem daunting, much more building a beautiful flower garden.
The thing with growing flowering plants is that some plant varieties are quite fussy. These plants require a lot of coddling before they bloom. But we’re happy to report that there are beginner-friendly, can’t-kill-flowering plant varieties too! These flowering plants are not only easy to grow; they will also yield beautiful blooms without much fuss. If you are new to gardening, you can start with 3 to 5 plant varieties until you are confident enough to expand your flower garden. Here are some of the hardiest and easy to grow flowering plants that we recommend:
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Sunflower
Sunflowers add a delightful touch of cheerful yellow in the garden. This bright, summertime annual is best grown from seeds, sown every two weeks or so to enjoy the gorgeous blooms until the first frost. Don't be intimidated with the idea of growing sunflowers from seeds, it's as easy as can be! This flowering plant could grow anywhere; it's not fickle at all.
Just make sure the sunflowers seeds are getting lots of sunshine. Plant the seeds in moist, well-drained soil and water only to keep the soil moist, never wet. Once the seedlings grow to about 12 inches, you can plant them in pots or directly into the ground. Give the sunflowers enough room to grow so they do not develop wobbly or weak stems.
Sweet Pea
Sweet Pea is best known for its colorful and fragrant blossoms. The flowers add a bold, sweet-spicy fragrance to the air! Sweet peas were so popular then that growers used to collect and grow different sweet pea varieties. This plant variety is no longer as popular now but it remains as a staple in most flowering gardens. Sweet peas are quite hardy, they could survive light frosts. These plants thrive in rich, well-drained soil so we highly suggest amending the soil with compost or aged manure prior to transplanting the seedlings.
Sweet pea is an annual plant that loves mild weather. It can be grown from seeds, which isn't as hard as it seems, we promise! But if seed sowing is not your cup of tea, you can always buy sweet pea as plug plants. Plant sweet peas in January or February to enjoy a garden full of blossoms just before the summer season sets in.
Nigella
Nigella is best known for its wispy, vivid blue blossoms and pretty pods. This hard-to-kill annual is one of the easiest plants to sow from seeds. And the seeds do not require much care, just scatter the seeds all over the garden.
Ideally, you want to plant the Nigella seeds in a spot that gets lots of sunshine. Nigella plants love well-drained, finely textured soil and mild climates. To enjoy Nigella’s glorious blooms all season long, sow a new crop of nigella every three weeks early in the springtime!
Columbines
Columbines are beautiful perennial plants known for their unique-looking blossoms. The bell-shaped blossoms come in an array of colors but the most popular are blue, purple, and pink. Columbines are best grown from seed in a well-draining soil. It will take a while for the plants to grow (about 6 to 12 months) but your hard work will be rewarded with fabulous blooms that last all spring and summer season long.
Columbines are not only hardy, they require little care too. They love mild climates so Columbines are better planted in shady spots, especially during the summer season. Columbines will thrive in different environments but they’ll grow best in spots that get the full sun!
Californian Poppy
Californian poppies are known for their riot of sunset tones, yielding orange, pink, and yellow flowers. Poppies in general, grow wildly in Californian meadows, hillsides, and prairies. The Californian Poppy, in particular, will grow like weeds in a sunny garden.
As an annual flowering plant, Californian Poppy will reseed in the garden for years to come. This flowering plant will grow anywhere, in hilly landscapes or sandy plains. Californian Poppy loves well-drained (sandy or rocky) soils, full sun, and mild climates. Even when the soil structure is not as nutrient-dense, you can count on Californian poppy to thrive.
Nasturtium
Nasturtium is a colorful annual plant with soft, green foliage and vividly hued flowers. This flowering plant adds a touch of whimsical charm to any garden thanks to its unique leaves, which resemble water lily pads. Nasturtium is quite a flexible flowering plant; it will feel right at home in a container garden as well as a petite urban garden. The blossoms come in a full spectrum of colors, including bold pinks, reds, and orange to pristine white.
This drought-tolerant, deer-resistant annual plant loves the full sun and well-drained soil. Do note that planting nasturtium in nutrient-dense soil tends to lead to fewer blossoms. This flowering plant will benefit from deep and regular watering! Nasturtium tends to wilt during dry seasons but once watered, it will spring back to life.
Marigold
Marigolds are beloved for their sunset-hued blooms and their ornamental attributes. This easy to grow, easy to care flowering plant variety is a popular choice among gardeners because the blossoms add a bold pop of color to the garden. Also, the Marigold flowers could be used in perfume making and cooking.
Marigolds love bright, full light and well-draining, nutrient-dense soil. Because this annual plant yields heavy blooms all season long, Marigold will benefit from regular application of fertilizer. We don't recommend planting Marigold in shady spots, however. The partial sunlight may encourage the spread of fungal disease, which Marigolds are quite vulnerable to.
Snapdragon
This classic annual flowering plant will do well in cool climates. Snapdragons yield bright, cheery flowers and they attract a variety of garden-friendly insects, including bumblebees and butterflies. The shades of Snapdragon blossoms come in almost every color of the rainbow. This plant variety is notoriously resilient too, able to survive and yield pretty blooms even in the cold!
However, Snapdragons won’t do well in gardens exposed to intense heat so you have to grow them indoors during the summer season and just replant the snapdragons once the cold season sets in. This plant variety will thrive in well-drained soil. Keep the soil moist by watering regularly at the base of the plant.
Geranium
Did you know that there are over 300 varieties of geranium? This popular perennial is a garden mainstay for many reasons. For one thing, geranium is so easy to grow. Geranium blossoms come in an array of colors to choose from. Depending on the variety, some thrive in shady spaces while others bloom in sunny spots!
Geraniums bloom from early to late spring and will continue to produce a riot of flowers all summer long. Since geranium varieties are wildly diverse, caring for this perennial depends on the variety you chose. Generally, geraniums love the sun although they will thrive in shady environments too. Always use well-draining soils and avoid standing water as much as possible.
Lilac
Rounding up our list of the 10 easy to grow flowering plants is the beguiling lilac. This deciduous shrub is known for its pastel-colored blossoms, sweet fragrance, and heart-shaped leaves. It’s a striking flowering plant that will look absolutely stunning in any garden, large or small!
Lilac will thrive in well-drained, evenly moist soils. Plant lilac in a sunny spot and prune lightly to encourage new growths. Lilac tends to grow tall so regular pruning will keep its beautiful foliage under control. Since it grows tall, lilac can be used to section off a spot in the garden for privacy. This plant variety is drought resistant so it’s the perfect flowering plant to grow in places with hot or dry climate.
