19 Easy to Grow Flowers for the Lazy Girl Garden

You don’t need to commit to spending hours per week in the garden in order to add beautiful blooms to your landscape! As a mom and business owner, I totally get the desire to grow gorgeous flowers amidst a busy lifestyle. Thankfully, I’ve found quite a lot of flowers that will thrive even with low maintenance. This list of 19 easy to grow flowers will help you choose your favorite, hardy plants to fill your flower gardens. 

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19 Easy to Grow Flowers

Before you choose which flowers to add to your garden space or to grow in pots, there are a few considerations you’ll want to keep in mind. 

• What do you want to use them for? While almost all of these flowers will do well in cut flower arrangements, there are some that are better for ground cover or that don’t have a very long vase life. What’s your intended purpose for your flowers?
• USDA hardiness zone. The USDA hardiness zone allows you to choose plants that will thrive best in your state and location. Choosing plants that work well in your climate is very important to success! Find your zone. 
• Sun or shade? When making your flower choices, consider how many hours of sun your garden gets per day. The majority of flowers like a lot of sun, but certain plants, such as hydrangeas, sedum, nasturtium, and hostas can do well in partially shady areas.

Enjoy browsing through these easy to grow flowers as you plan your garden. And let me know in the comments which ones you choose! 

1. Zinnias

I have to start with these incredibly easy, stunningly beautiful flowers. Zinnias are my first recommendation for anyone who wants to enjoy a beautiful flower garden but doesn’t have time to spend all day caring for flower beds. If you want to add tons of color and joy to your cut flower garden but don’t feel like you have a green thumb or perhaps you have little gardening experience, zinnias are the perfect choice.

You can plant zinnias right in your garden beds or grow them in pots. Zinnias don’t do as well when transplanted, so you can easily grow them from seed. They prefer full sun and bloom throughout the summer and fall. These colorful flowers are also known to attract butterflies, bringing even more color and beauty to your garden! My personal favorites.

These easy annual flowers are perfect for busy gardeners who want access to beautiful blooms throughout the growing season. 

To learn more, check out my library of resources for growing zinnias, or download the complete Lazy Girl’s Guide to Growing Zinnias e-book!

2. Peonies

It’s hard to choose my favorite flower, but peonies might be it. Once they’re established (which can take a couple of years), these hardy flowers will give you big, beautiful blooms in a variety of colors – such as red, pink, yellow, and white. 

Peonies grow best in grow zones 2-8. You’ll want to plant them in the fall, about 2 inches below the soil surface. They generally bloom during the late spring or early summer, with individual blooms lasting around 7-10 days. 

Peonies grow best in well-drained soil in a sunny location. 

3. Hydrangeas

Hydrangeas come in different varieties, including mophead, lacecap, panicle, and oakleaf hydrangeas. They grow best in zones 3-8 and thrive in partial shade – so they’re great for gardeners who want to fill up some shady spots with some easy, gorgeous perennials! 

Hydrangeas have a long bloom time, typically blooming from late spring to early fall. They make excellent cut flowers, and can also be beautifully used for other types of decor such as wreaths and garlands if you dry them. It’s important that hydrangeas receive regular watering in order to thrive.

4. Coneflowers 

Coneflowers (also called echinacea) are hardy perennials that grow well in zones 3-9. Purple coneflowers are most common, but they also come in other shades including, pink, red, orange, white, and yellow. Their centers naturally attract butterflies and birds. 

Coneflowers are fairly tolerant to drought, although new plants will need a good amount of water to get started. They can be grown in pots or in the ground, and generally bloom from mid to late summer.

5. Sedum 

Sedum (also known as stonecrop) are incredibly easy perennial plants that make a great addition to your flower garden! These plants grow well in shallow soil and full sun, but they’ll do okay with some shade, too. They’ll need a little water, but honestly, if you get some rain every couple of weeks, you may not need to water them at all! Sedum come in different varieties, so you can grow them as ground cover or as upright flowers. 

As some of the easiest flowers to grow and with their many different varieties and colors, you really can’t grow wrong with these lovely perennial flowers. Once they are stablished they are easy to divide as well!

6. Iceberg Roses 

This gorgeous, bright white version of roses smells delightful and is quite resistant to disease. Iceberg roses will bloom for months! They’re so simple to care for, yet beautifully elegant.

Iceberg roses can withstand colder temperatures, which makes them easy flowers to grow in quite a variety of hardiness zones. While they are naturally shrub-like plants, they can also be trained to be climbers. 

Although iceberg roses are really a low-maintenance plant, like any flowers, they do require a little care. Pruning, occasional fertilization, and watering (especially during dry spells) are the main tasks you’ll need to take care of with these easy flowers. They grow best in well-draining soil and full sun.

I love these beautiful blooms so much, I wrote a whole guide to growing and caring for your iceberg roses. 

7. Yarrow

Yarrow comes in a variety of colors (it’s popular in yellow, red, and pink) and is perfect for ground cover and borders. Its colorful flower heads are filled with numerous tiny flowers that make this a perfect filler for cut flower arrangements. These aromatic flowers grow best in full sun, and they’re super easy to establish and grow! 

These charming plants generally bloom for about 6-8 weeks, starting in mid to late summer.

8. Cosmos 

Cosmos are daisy-like flowers that are not only bright and beautiful, but also great for attracting pollinators, including bees, butterflies, and birds. Their variety of colors and classic shape makes them great cut flowers that add joy and a carefree feel to any bouquet. 

These delightful blooms are simple to grow. And the more you cut them, the more they’ll reproduce! They grow best in full sun and bloom throughout the summer and fall.

9. Sweet Peas

These charming, annual plants may look delicate, but they’re truly quite hardy and easy. Sweet peas need to be planted in the late winter or early spring. They’re gorgeous, vining plants that grow well on trellises and other structures.

Plant sweet peas in a sunny spot in moist soil. They need plenty of water! 

10. Nasturtium 

Nasturtiums grow as annuals in most places. They bloom in rich colors and are both quick and easy to grow. Besides adding a gorgeous pop of color to your garden, many people love nasturtiums because they’re also edible! (Their taste resembles mustard seeds, and they’re perfect for garnishing salads.)

Nasturtiums do best in either full or partial sun (although they won’t bloom quite as well in the shade), and can be harvested in the summer and fall.

11. Knock Out Roses

Knock out roses require little maintenance, are resistant to disease, and bloom all season! These hardy plants can be mixed in with your shrubs and hedges or planted in your mixed flower gardens.

Knock out roses require a sunny location with well-draining soil. They’ll need plenty of water to begin with, but once they’re established, they’re quite tolerant to drought. 

12. Rozanne Geranium

These lovely, violet-blue flowers make a gorgeous ground cover. These perennials will grow for many years. They usually begin to flower in the late spring or early summer and will continue to bloom into the fall. 

Great for beginner gardeners, these spreading, easy plants are quite low maintenance. They do best in full sun to partial shade.

13. Lavender

These classic, purple garden plants are hardy once established and have so many uses! You can add them to your favorite cut flowers, dry them, or use them for all sorts of DIY blends and recipes. 

Lavender plants love warm sunlight, so plant them in a sunny location after the last frost. These beautiful plants give off a fragrant aroma. However, they can be toxic to pets in large amounts.

14. Snapdragons

Snapdragons are a popular favorite among cut flower collections. They have a spike-like flower that adds depth to bouquets, they come in lots of colors, and they can last in a vase for up to 2 weeks. 

These plants are frost hardy, but their blooms often slow down in the hottest parts of summer. Snapdragons do best in full sun and moist, yet well-drained soil. 

15. Hostas

While hostas are most often grown for their beautiful foliage, they do produce tall-stemmed flowers in the summer, too. Hostas are excellent filler perennials, and they can thrive in the ground or in pots. 

Another reason why many people love hostas is because they do well in the shade! Although they do need part sun (a few hours of morning light per day will do), they’re a great choice for beautifully filling up your shady spots.

16. Salvia

Salvia is also known as ornamental sage. It comes in a variety of colors and will fill up your garden not only with bright flowers, but also with pollinators such as bees and butterflies. You can’t really go wrong with these cheery flowers. 

Saliva grows best in full sun with well-draining soil. 

17. Black Eyed Susans 

You can plant black eyed Susans either in the spring or the fall. This native plant grows 1-3 feet tall and provides beautiful yellow blooms with black-eyed centers. They make excellent cut flowers and also attract pollinators to your flower garden. Although they’re hardy plants, it is important to make sure that they get plenty of sun and aren’t overcrowded.

18. Stella D’oro Daylilies

These trumpet-shaped flowers can bloom from spring through fall and require very little maintenance. They need an average amount of water, and although they really thrive in the full sun, they can also do well in partial shade. Make sure you take the time to deadhead your flowers in order to enjoy continuous blooms throughout the growing season! 

19. Rocktrumpet (Mandevilla)

This vining plant has a tropical look and loves to climb up trellises and other structures. Although rocktrumpets can tolerate partial shade, they’ll do best in full sunlight. The beautiful blooms of this gorgeous plant are beloved by hummingbirds and other pollinators. 

This subtropical plant is pretty low maintenance. It doesn’t require deadheading or pruning, and it will hold up well in hotter temperatures and with less water than many other types of flowers. 

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xoxo,

Kelly

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