21 Easy Flowers to Grow in Your Garden or Yard (with Pictures)

If you’re new to gardening, or haven’t yet got the hang of it, try these easy flowers. Let’s face it—gardening is more fun when the flowers are alive, and these are notoriously hard to kill!

Not only are they tough, but they’re also gorgeous and add a lovely touch of vibrance, life, and color to your home—wherever they may live. So, be sure to get those ‘oohs’ and ‘ahhs’ ready because you’re going to need them!

The Top 21 Easy Flowers to Grow in Your Garden or Yard

1. Daffodils

Let’s kick things off with one of the most beautiful and popular spring-blooming flowers there is. Nothing says spring is here like a garden full of beautifully bright golden yellow and orange daffodils, with their crowns on full, glorious technicolor display!

2. Zinnia

The bright, narrow petals of zinnias in full bloom resemble a fireworks display going off in the night sky. They are absolutely stunning flowers. Plant the zinnias after the last frost, and they will display their vibrant fullness sometime in July–August

3. Lavender

Often used in essential oils for aromatherapy due to their relaxing scent, lavender flowers are another beautiful, easy to grow flower for your garden or yard. You can pick some petals off once they’ve bloomed and lightly crush them under your pillow for a relaxing effect!

4. Echinacea

This gorgeous purple flower, also known as coneflower, makes a fantastic companion plant for just about any flower. It attracts pollinators and looks beautiful in a mass planting with some lavender. Echinacea is also often used by many people who believe it helps to treat the common cold!

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5. Clematis

When we say that some of these flowers grow like weeds, we mean it! The clematis flower is another stunning, bright purple flower, that is known for its ability to climb structures, like a vine! Where you plant your clematis plant is the most important factor to its success. If you get that right, then they are very easy to maintain.

6. Creeping Thyme

This creeping ground cover plant is a splendidly beautiful vining plant that is quite durable and will grow in less-than-ideal conditions. Creeping thyme can also be grown as an alternative to having a lawn—it will grow across rock gardens, and can be walked on, making this one awesome plant!

7. Yarrow

This lovely perennial flower is native to temperate regions of Asia, Europe, and North America. Aside from being a beautiful flower, it is very easy to grow. Plant it in the early spring and early autumn. This flower is also known as carpenter’s weed, as some time ago woodworkers would use it to help treat wounds they received while working.

8. Creeping Sedum

Here is another low-growing creeping flower. These need to be planted in the spring after the last frost has come and gone. Sedum plants come in a wide variety of wonderful colors including pink rose, green, gray, gold, yellow and more. These are gorgeous, easy-to-grow ground cover plants that you will love.

9. Cosmos

The beautiful, delicate-looking cosmos flower is a festival of pinks, purples, whites, and everything in between. These plants go in early—sowing between March and April to get the nicest results. These beautiful flowers are happier in the sun but will still tolerate partial shade.

10. American Beautyberry

The American beautyberry is a member of the shrub family. These go well in mass plantings with other shrub-type flowers like hydrangeas and rhododendrons. They do better in well-drained soil, so a raised bed garden is a great place for these beautiful, shade-loving shrubs.

11. Texas Ranger

Leucophyllum frutescens are a desert shrub, more easily known as Texas Ranger or Texas Sage. These are late-blooming flowers that, predictably for a desert plant, love the sun and are susceptible to over-watering. If you give them warm soil and don’t drown them, they will flourish and offer amazing fountains of purple flowers.

12. Meadow Sage

Also known as salvias, meadow sage is a flower that looks somewhat similar to Texas Ranger, with plumes of purple petals rising, a little more vertically than the latter. They also like to go into warm soil, with no risk of frost, but meadow sage is partial to the sun. The more sun it gets, the happier your meadow sage will be.

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13. Aster

Here is an easy flower to grow–Aster. These purple flowers vividly contrast their bright green leaves, and the effect is astonishingly vibrant. These easy-going flowers can be planted at any time during the growing season, spring, summer, or fall, and yield magnificent long, slender petals at bloom.

14. Hostas

Here is another season-round plant. Hostas are beautiful perennials, that do well in the shade, though they do love a spot that gets at least a couple of hours of bright sun a day. They display vivid leaves of green, yellow, gold, and white and are elegant, sophisticated, and understated.

15. Rudbeckia (Black-Eyed Susan)

These yellow, red, or orange flowers are known to attract butterflies! They aren’t the most extravagant flower out there, but they have a quaint, simple beauty about them, nonetheless. Black-eyed Susan’s make fantastic champions plants for many other plants that are easy to grow in your garden or yard!

16. Fountain Grass

If you’re a fan of the look of a weeping willow tree, try planting this herbaceous perennial, fountain grass. The gracefully sweeping and arching of the stems and the texture of the flower bear a striking resemblance to a miniature weeping willow. They go into soil in spring and come back every year!

17. Lamb’s Ear

This little fuzzy ground cover plant is great for creating a nice soft mat along the floor of the garden. These are drought-tolerant, sun-loving perennials that will thrive in sunnier gardens. The layer of fuzz on the leaves of this plant gives it a nice contrasting tactile with other, more vivid plants in the garden. Very nice for those who appreciate the understated style of beauty.

18. Red Leaf Begonia

The red leaf member of the begonia family is a stunning example of the plant. Vivid crimsons, cherry red and pinks are on full display with this gorgeous outdoor annual. While outdoors, red leaf begonias are considered an annual, if you plant them in your indoor garden, they are a perennial, so they will return year after year!

19. Sunflower

Sunflowers aren’t just one happy, giant, flower, they are made of millions of tiny flowers! These are ideal plants for the garden bee-cause they attract our favorite buzzing pollinators, which are a good thing for the whole garden. You can also eat the sunflower seeds for a tasty, healthy snack!

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20. Catmint

In case you’re wondering, yes, Catmint is very closely related to catnip. Catmint, however, is more ornamental, with lavender horns bursting out of multiple layers. These are not only beautiful, but they are also very tough. They are both heat and drought tolerant making them well suited to dryer gardens.

21. Marigold

You’ll find this beautiful flower in garlands all over Nepal—where it is a cultural symbol. These are often orange but also come in a variety of colors like maroon, yellow, red, and combinations of each. These easy to grow flowers sprout quickly—after only a few days. About 8 weeks later they bloom—a marvelous spectacle.

Which Soil is Best for Gardening?

To create an environment in which your plants will thrive, you’ll need to choose the right soil. An ideal mix for a flower garden is a mixture of equal parts peat, compost, and topsoil. This will be rich in nutrients, while still allowing it to drain easily.

Conclusion

Not everybody was born with a green thumb—but that doesn’t mean they can’t still enjoy the rewards of gardening! We hope this article gets you inspired about all the easy-growing garden possibilities that are out there—enjoy!

Featured Image Credit: Alexander Raths, Shutterstock