First Time Gardners
For first-time gardeners or anyone who says they don’t have a green thumb, try out these easy-to-care-for perennials and annuals that, when combined, amp up your curb appeal and showcase your home! While perennials can be planted much sooner, wait until after
Mother’s Day before planting heat-loving annual blooms!
Perennials:
Catmint– A cottage staple with a periwinkle bloom, catmint is drought tolerant and blooms in waves all season long. After its first bloom, simply give it a haircut and it will keep on blooming! Excellent as a border plant and is deer resistant.
Yarrow– Coming in a variety of colors, this heat loving, drought tolerant flower creates clouds of blooms that give your garden a dreamy quality. Give it lots of sun and a trim after its first show and it will bloom all season long! Deer resistant and perfect for the back or mid layer of your garden.
Coneflower– There is no flower more reliable than the coneflower. Coming in a variety of colors, coneflower blooms all season long with daisy-like shaped blooms. Leave the spent blooms for the birds in the winter-they love them! Use coneflower in the mid layer of your garden.
Roses– Believe it or not, it’s almost impossible to kill a rose. With so many different colors and sizes available, there is a perfect rose for every gardener. Prune them back by a third once a year when the forsythia blooms and you’ll have beautiful roses from May to first frost. Look for varieties that are repeat bloomers and disease resistant.
Veronica– Who doesn’t love paintbrush like blooms in soft pinks, blues and purples? Veronica comes in a variety of heights for you to use throughout your garden. It does well in sun or part sun and is deer resistant.
Annuals– Annuals are the magic of the garden. It only takes a few hours each season and yet the results are showstopping!
Zinnias– Everyone loves zinnias! Coming in a rainbow of colors, these heat loving flowers grow the more you cut them! Easy to grow from seed, these beautiful flowers actually prefer poor soil conditions. A favorite of pollinators, you’ll want to grow an endless variety for indoor flower bouquets. You can sprinkle zinnia seeds towards the mid layer and front of your bed. Zinnias are deer resistant.
Marigolds– Bright and cheerful, marigolds are so hardy. If you plant them this summer, you’ll have them up until the first frost. We like to use chunkier varieties in tones of gold, orange and red. Stagger their happy blooms towards the front of your bed since they are so compact. The best part, they are deer resistant.
Vinca– We love using vinca because it is so heat tolerant. It comes in a variety of shades to fit your garden’s color palette and makes a wonderful edging flower. Vinca is also deer resistant.
Angelonia– Known as the summer snapdragon for their bell like blooms, these flowers LOVE heat. You’ll find them in shades of pink, purple, white and bi-color and their height and girth make for a substantial annual. They range in height depending on variety so read your plant tags and place accordingly. Angelonia is also deer resistant.
Annual Salvia– We are big fans of perennial salvia, but a staple in any Inspired Garden is annual salvia. They add such a whimsical element to any garden and just like marigolds, they will last until your first frost. Lovely mixed among your other perennials and annuals, they range in color from soft to dark purple and blue.
Remember, even though most of these flowers are heat loving, it is important to water consistently. Try to water early in the morning or evening when it is not so hot. Take care of your flower friends and they will bring you and your neighborhood joy all season long!
