Are you new to gardening and not sure what to plant? Or maybe just looking for something foolproof for one area of your garden? I’ve been there! So I decided to come up with a list of easy, no-fail flowers that anyone can grow.

“Zahara Raspberry Ripple” zinnias are bushy, pretty, and easy to grow

After lots of trial and error, plenty of plant losses, suffering with aggressive and invasive plants, and dealing with the uncertainties of weather, I’ve come up with a short list of my favorite flowers that anyone can grow. All of these are great for beginners, but I still use all of them, so of course they are good for seasoned gardeners as well.

All of the flowers I chose for my top 8 had to meet these criteria:

Attractive flowers

Withstand varying amounts of rainfall and temperatures

Vigorous growth without being a nuisance (aka invasive)

Can be grown by someone with little to no gardening experience

All of these plants need the appropriate amount of water and sunlight, but all of them will give you some leeway. And all of them will grow in any decent soil.

In no particular order, these are what I’ve determined as my top 8~

Queeny Orange zinnia with Dreamland Red zinnia in background at right

Zinnias

Everybody loves zinnias, and for good reason. They are extremely easy to grow from seed, which makes them very affordable, they grow fast so you get near-instant gratification, they have lovely flowers that range from small and disc-like to big, floofy pompoms, they come in multiple sizes and heights, and they are incredibly prolific bloomers, blooming pretty much non-stop from late spring to the end of fall.

Plant type: annuals

Sun Exposure: Full sun

Bloom season: Spring through Fall

Height: 1 to5 feet, depending on cultivar

Width: 1 to 3 feet, depending on cultivar

Colors: All but blue

Notes: Snip growing tips early in the season to encourage multiple branches to form (this creates a fuller plant with more blooming tips).

Sow by seed either indoor or directly in the ground. I sow zinnia seeds indoors on the last frost date and transplant them outside once they have 3 full sets of leaves (about 4 weeks later, usually).

“Mystic Blue Spires” salvia bud

Salvias – all kinds!

There are lots of different varieties of salvia (aka sage), many of them native to the US. And all of them are loved by pollinators, and often hummingbirds. I watch bumblebees and other native bees consistently choose salvias over all other types of flowers. Hummingbirds love the ones with long tubular flowers and will fight over them.

Check your local nurseries (not big box places) to see which salvias are most used in your area.

Plant type: perennials or annuals, depending on species and your growing zone

Sun Exposure: Full sun to half day sun (depending on your growing zone and the variety)

Bloom season: Spring through Fall

Height: 1 to 6 feet, depending on type (Mexican bush sage gets big!)

Width: 1 to 4 feet, depending on type

Colors: Mostly blues and purples, but pretty much all other colors as well (though yellow is very rare)

Notes: Some self sow (like salvia coccinea) and pop up all over.

“Archangel Dark Purple” angelonias

Angelonias

Sometimes called Summer Snapdragons, but angelonias are MUCH tougher. Mine have easily withstood 2 record breaking hot summers here in Texas, with only basic irrigation during those hot summers when there was zero rain. They sway in the breeze in a lovely way; especially beautiful in a cottage garden.

Plant type: perennial in zones 8b and up, annual elsewhere

Bloom season: Summer

Sun: Full sun

Height: 1 to 3 feet, depending on cultivar

Width: 1 to 2 feet

Colors: Purple, pink, and white

Notes: These self sow in my zone 8b garden, but not aggressively.

Pink begonias with red tipped leaves

Begonias

Begonias are easy to buy and easy to grow. They’re perfect groundcovers in shady areas and the lusher varieties really level up the look of your patio.

Plant type: annuals

Sun Exposure: Shade in warm climates, part sun in less intense climates

Bloom season: Spring through Fall

Height: 6 inches to 2 feet, depending on cultivar

Width: 6 inches to 3 feet, depending on cultivar

Colors: All but blue

Notes: Waxy leaves make them look a bit tropical

“Summerific” Berry hardy hibiscus

Hardy Hibiscus (hibiscus moscheutos)

If you want a big, tropical looking flower but don’t live in a tropical climate, hardy hibiscuses are your answer! These are actually perennial shrubs which die down to the ground at first frost and emerge again in late spring/early summer and grow quickly to their full size within a short time. Their popularity has grown in recent years so there are LOTS of varieties to choose from. 2 things all hardy hibiscus need—plenty of full sun and plenty of water. But give them those 2 things and you will be handsomely rewarded with big, bodacious blooms all summer long into fall.

Plant type: perennial (zones 5 to 9)

Sun Exposure: Full sun

Bloom season: Spring through Fall

Height: 2 to 6 feet, depending on cultivar

Width: 2 to 6 feet, depending on cultivar

Colors: All but blue

Notes: These take a long time to wake up in the spring, so don’t dig them up believing they’re dead! Even in my warm climate, they don’t emerge until late May, which means in cooler climates it may be June before you see them.

White vincas

Vincas (Catharanthus roseus)

(also called Madagascar Periwinkle)

Vincas are a great low-growing space filler. They tolerate just about anything, which means that can actually be invasive in climates 9 and above. For everyone else they are grown as annuals, planted in the spring and enjoyed until late fall.

Plant type: annuals

Sun Exposure: Full sun

Bloom season: Spring through Fall

Height: 6 to 12 inches

Width: 6 to 12 inches (plant 8-10 inches apart for full carpet)

Colors: Pink, purple, red, white

Notes: Make sure you don’t plant trailing vinca, or common periwinkle! It is invasive and an absolute pest.

Daylilies – “Carmen Renee” on top, “Full Moon Magic” on bottom

Daylilies (Hemerocallis)

Daylilies are one of my favorites of all time. They are easy to grow and come in hundreds (maybe even thousands?) of varieties. They are purchased bareroot and can be found through multiple online nurseries. They come in every color except blue, and many have interesting patterning. They grow in clumps that can be divided every 3 to 5 years, which means free plants! They come in dormant (die to ground each winter), evergreen, and semi-evergreen. If you live in a warm/hot climate, avoid dormant varieties as they don’t do well in hot summers. My favorite website for researching daylily varieties is www.garden.org (put the daylily name in the search bar).

Plant type: perennial (zones 3 – 10)

Sun Exposure: Full sun

Bloom season: Spring through Fall

Height: 2 to 3 feet for most varieties (with a few that get taller)

Width: clumps – size depends on age

Colors: All but blue

Notes: Give daylilies plenty of water. Dividing the clumps every few years helps increase blooms.

“Popcorn” Drift rose

Drift Roses™

If you think growing roses is difficult, you need a Drift rose™. These are low growing shrub roses that have been bred to be small and tough and not need any pampering. Just give them a good rose fertilizer in the spring and make sure they get sufficient water, and you will have a lovely front-of-the-border rose to enjoy all spring and summer.

Plant type: shrub (zones 5 – 10)

Sun Exposure: Full sun

Bloom season: Spring through Fall

Height: 1 ½ to 2 feet, depending on cultivar

Width: 2 to 3 feet, depending on cultivar

Colors: Peach, pink, red, coral, white, yellow

Notes: No rose exists which is 100% fungus resistant, but Drift roses come close in my experience. I recommend Espoma Rose fertilizer for all roses.

“Persian Market” daylily in the foreground with Profusion Raspberry Ripple zinnias (left), newly planted “Dreamland Red” zinnias (mid left),. Mystic Spires salvia (behind daylily bloom), and Queeny Orange zinnias (top right) in the background.

There you have it! If you are new to gardening and are intimidated by the fear of choosing the “wrong” flower, you can’t go wrong with any of these. Just make sure you give each type the amount of sun and water it needs and you’ll soon wonder what you were so worried about.