I’m a Garden Expert – 5 Beginner-Friendly Plants That Are Easy to Grow
Starting your flower garden is not as difficult as you might think; you just need the right seedlings.
Several plants are so easy to grow that even a child can do it and they have unique properties, such as attracting butterflies.
Epic gardening expert Danielle Sherwood shared tips for easily growing beginner-friendly flowers from seeds with minimal effort.
SUNFLOWERS
According to Danielle, sunflowers are low-maintenance annual flowers that are a staple in many gardens for good reason.
These kid-friendly, popular and low-maintenance annual flowers are a favorite in the garden for many reasons.
Not only are they ‘pollinator favorites’ and produce delicious seeds, but there are also many varieties of sunflowers that bloom in different sizes and colors.
The ‘Helianthus annuus’, for example, grows somewhere between two and three meters high.
“These beauties are native to the United States and can withstand drought, deer pressure and poor soils,” she said.
HOLYHOCK
Like the previous plant, hollyhock stems can grow up to three meters in height, and their ‘large, showy flowers open over an extended period of time’.
Danielle added that they are biennial and grow easily, so they don’t need much attention once they reach adulthood.
The expert suggested planting hollyhock seeds near the house or along a fence to provide structural support.
“Once they bloom, you can harvest the seeds or let them self-disperse. They will reseed, giving you a beautiful patch of consistent blooms for years to come,” explains Danielle.
BLUE WOOD ASTER
Blue wood aster is native to the United States and becomes a three-foot-tall, bushy shrub covered with small, lavender-colored star-shaped flowers when fully grown.
The plant blooms in late summer or early fall and spreads quickly, so plant it somewhere where you want a field of purple color.
Once established it grows well in partly shaded and dry conditions. That’s why Danielle said it’s a “perfect choice for those tricky spots in the garden.”
A particularly fun fact is that it supports many specialized bees that can only feed on the nectar as a butterfly host plant.
BLACK-EYED SUSANS
Black-Eyed Susans, also known as Rudbeckia hirta, are another host plant for butterflies that can grow to about three feet in height.
The perennials are golden yellow daisy-like flowers with deep brown and sometimes burgundy centers and ‘lance-shaped, fluffy leaves’.
Danielle recommended planting it two weeks before the last frost.
“Direct seed in full sun, fall to late winter, and look for lots of joyful golden blooms!” she added.
PENSTEMON DIGITALIS
Danielle recommended sowing Penstemon digitalis in autumn to late winter for flowering by early summer.
The long-lasting, snow-white flowers are tinged pink and are very striking when you plant them together in a pile. .
“It tolerates drought, clay soil and bright sun. In southern climates it can be evergreen,” the expert added.
Following the gardening guru’s advice, run to your local plant store and stock up on fresh seedlings while supplies last and weather permits.
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