10 Foolproof Flowers Anyone Can Grow

A dainty flower with a slender stem, cosmos stand up against heat, drought, and poor soil conditions. Gardeners don’t need to give cosmos much attention after sowing seeds. As long as you deadhead the blooms, avoid overwatering, and stake if necessary, they’ll survive until frost hits the ground in autumn. What’s more, cosmos – which usually have rosy, white, or orange-colored petals– experience relatively few problems with pests, and they also self seed. Available on Amazon; $3.65 for 400 seeds.

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For a bare plot of garden in a sunny yard, there are few plants that are as low-maintenance as yarrow. These perennials are drought-tolerant, grow in almost any soil type, and need little in the way of fertilizer. Yarrow, which comes in more than 80 varieties, will bloom repeatedly throughout the season—and all you need to do is deadhead spent flowers. Available on burpee.com; $26.95 for 4 plants.

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Fast-growing zinnia is a good choice for any gardener who gets a late start on planting flowers by seed. Zinnias lure pollinators to your garden from the time they bloom until they disappear with the first frost. Although they're susceptible to fungal diseases when overwatered, they can stand up to hungry deer, who won't go near the fragrant flowers. Available on burpee.com; $4.95 for 50 seeds.

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The easy-going marigold, which blooms is bold oranges and yellows, is a bright addition to any garden. Perhaps the best part about marigold is its carefree nature. The flowers thrive under the sun, but they also don’t mind a bit of mid-afternoon shade. Marigold also isn't finicky about soil types. What's more, the flowers are beneficial to your garden: marigolds release thiophenes into the soil from their root systems, killing nematodes that cause root-knot.  Available on Amazon ; $5.69 for 1,000 seeds.

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It goes without saying that the sunflower loves the sun. Each day, the golden flowers turn their large heads to face the direction of the sunlight. The cheerful sunflower is also surprisingly easy to grow. It isn't particular about a soil type, and while it prospers from getting plenty of water, it can tolerate periods of heat and drought. Sunflowers have coarse and tall stems that often reach several feet in height when exposed to at least six or eight hours of full sun each day. Expect sunflowers to bloom from the middle of summer through the fall. Available on Amazon ; $7.95 for 200 seeds.

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With these low-maintenance flowers, you can get a pretty garden without all the work. 

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