Easy Garden Flowers You Don’t Need a Green Thumb to Grow

A recent study by University of Florida scientists highlights that gardening is an excellent tonic for stress, depression, and anxiety. Yet, if you're among the thousands of people who've recently taken up gardening, you might disagree.

If your plants aren't thriving as you wish they would, or failing to survive your best intentions, you need to take a step back. Some plants simply aren't suited to newbie gardeners. 

Your attention is better spent on tried and true, unfussy garden plants. Try these easy-going garden flowers for guaranteed gardening success.

Annual Garden Flowers

Most annual blooms grow well when you plant them as seedlings, requiring little more than adequate sunlight and regular water, as long as you prepare your soil correctly. Most annuals need good drainage, regular watering, and rich soil, although you'll also find some that tolerate drought once established. There are even some annuals that perform well in poor soil. Make sure to read the seed packet or plant tag for proper planting needs.

It's easy to grow many annual from seeds, and most gardeners have success with the following flowers:

• Snapdragons
• Pansies
• Zinnias
• Cosmos
• Sunflowers

These lovely plants work well for inexpensive, vibrant garden color. Sometimes, you may be lucky and find volunteers of your favorite annuals the following year - many annual re-seed themselves for a second appearance next season.

If you're interested in planting flowers that don't disappear after just one summer, it's best to focus your attention on perennials or shrubs that offer year-round interest.

Crape Myrtles

Crape myrtles are native to Asia, but they're an exceedingly popular garden plant across the world. These beautiful flowering plants can be found as tree or shrub forms that grow between 1 and 2 feet per year. Some varieties reach heights of up to 20 feet. Many crape myrtles can be pruned into a single trunk for a beautiful specimen tree, or plant several crape myrtles along a border to create a flowering hedge.

These are among the best flowering plants for newcomers to gardening, as they require very little attention. Crape myrtles aren't particular about soil types, but they do need a warm climate to survive winter. Gardeners in cold climates can still enjoy crape myrtles: consider planting in a container and over winter keep the plant in a protected space, like a greenhouse or basement.

They adorn themselves with rich colorful leaves in the fall, while winter reveals their brown, pink, and green mottled trunks. In the summer, crape myrtles explode with large dense clusters of white, red, purple or pink ruffled flowers. Black Diamond crape myrtles come in a variety of colors to complement your landscaping.

Hardy Hibiscus

Hibiscus plants bring an island feel to any space with their abundant, colorful flowers and lush green leaves. But while tropical hibiscus require warm, frost-free climates to thrive, you can still enjoy vibrant, lush blooms in cooler zones by growing hardy hibiscus.

Hardy hibiscus thrive in temperate climates, making them one of the best garden flowers for colder states. They're easy flowers to grow and are happiest in well-drained neutral or acidic soil.

Hibiscus loves the full sun and will reward you with copious blooms if you give them plenty of sunlight and water. Apart from regular watering, you can leave them to work their magic all on their own.

In warm, tropical climates, hardy hibiscus flower year-round, but you'll find they're at their best in summer if you live in a cooler environment. The herbaceous perennial plants die back in winter, emerging in late spring or early summer for another spectacular garden show.

Stock Up on Easy Flowers to Grow

When you choose to liven up your spaces with garden flowers that don't mind the weather, you needn't wait for the spring before you start work on your landscapes.

Don't let the end of summer stop you in your tracks, start shopping now to create a garden you can enjoy all year round.