Growing flowers is the most forgiving way into gardening, and it is the fastest way to a garden that looks like a garden. A packet of zinnia seed sown in spring can be a blaze of colour by midsummer; a handful of tulip bulbs planted in autumn will be the first colour of spring; a pot of petunias on a doorstep will flower for months. Flowers ask for less than fruit or vegetables — no harvest to time, no crop to protect — and they give back more visibly, in colour, scent and the bees and butterflies they bring.
The first decision is what kind of flower garden you want. Annuals — marigolds, zinnias, sunflowers, petunias, cosmos — grow, flower and die in one season, and they are the fastest route to colour. Perennials — peonies, lilies, hydrangeas, dahlias — come back year after year, and they are the backbone of a garden that improves with age. Bulbs — tulips, daffodils, lilies — are planted in autumn and flower in spring, and they are the easiest planting there is: dig a hole, drop the bulb in, cover it, and wait. Most beginners do best with a mix: annuals for instant colour, bulbs for spring, and a few perennials for the long term.
Before you buy anything, look at your garden the way a flower sees it: how much sun does each spot get, is the soil wet or dry, is it sheltered or windy? Most flowers want full sun — six hours or more — and a soil that drains, and a flower planted in deep shade or in waterlogged soil will disappoint however pretty the picture on the packet. A sunny, sheltered spot with decent soil will grow almost anything. If you are unsure about a variety, a spray, or a diagnosis, check your local extension service — its advice is matched to your climate and soil.
Start with flowers that forgive beginners
The easiest first flowers are marigolds, zinnias, sunflowers, petunias and cosmos. Marigolds flower for months from a spring sowing, they need almost no care, and they attract hoverflies that eat aphids. Zinnias are the same: sow them after the last frost, give them sun and water, and they will flower until the first frost, and the more you cut them, the more they flower. Sunflowers are the tallest and the most satisfying — a child can grow one, and a row of them makes a garden in a summer. Petunias flower for months in pots and baskets, and they need only regular watering and deadheading. Cosmos is the flower for a poor soil and a hot, dry spot, where fussier flowers fail. All five are sown or planted in spring, flower in their first year, and cost almost nothing. Avoid starting with the fussy flowers — delphiniums, which need staking and rich soil, or roses, which need pruning and disease care — and add them once you have a season of success behind you. Our growing guides cover marigolds, sunflowers and zinnias in detail.
Choose the right spot — sun first, shelter second
Almost all flowers need full sun, meaning at least six hours of direct sun a day, and the more sun they get, the more they flower. A south-facing bed is the best place for a flower garden, and a spot sheltered from the wind is the second-best thing, because wind breaks tall stems, dries the soil and chills the plants. Avoid the deep shade under a large tree, where the roots steal the water and the canopy steals the light, and avoid a frost pocket — a low spot where cold air collects — because a late frost will kill tender annuals in one night. Roses, dahlias and sunflowers want the sunniest, most sheltered spot you have; tulips and daffodils will flower in a spot that is sunny in spring and shaded in summer, because they flower before the trees leaf out. Give tall flowers room and a little support, and give low flowers the front of the bed, where you can see them.
Soil, sowing and planting: the first season
Most flowers want a soil that is fertile, moisture-retentive and free-draining — a soil with plenty of compost dug in. Dig the bed over, remove the weeds, dig in two or three inches of compost, and rake it level. Sow hardy annuals such as marigolds and cosmos directly where they are to flower, after the last frost, and thin the seedlings to the spacing on the packet — a crowded seedling is a weak plant. Start tender annuals such as petunias and zinnias indoors, or buy them as young plants, and plant them out after the last frost, when the nights are warm. Plant bulbs in autumn, at a depth of two or three times their own height, with the pointed end up, and plant them in groups of five or more, not in single rows, so they look natural. Plant perennials such as peonies and lilies in autumn or spring, at the same depth they grew at before, and water them well. Mulch the bed with compost or bark to hold moisture in and keep weeds down. The seed starting calculator can help you time your sowings from your last frost date.
Watering, feeding and deadheading
Flowers need water most when they are young and when they are flowering. Water newly sown seed and newly planted young plants regularly until they are established, then water deeply once or twice a week in dry weather, at the base of the plants, in the morning. A mulch will cut your watering in half. Feed lightly: a mulch of compost in spring is enough for most flowers, and a liquid feed every two weeks will keep petunias and other heavy-flowering annuals going through the summer. Do not overfeed, because too much nitrogen grows leaves at the expense of flowers. Deadheading — picking off the faded flowers — is the single most useful habit in a flower garden: it stops the plant setting seed, and the plant responds by making more flowers. For roses, zinnias, marigolds, petunias and dahlias, deadhead every few days, cutting the stem back to the next leaf or bud, and the flowering will go on for weeks longer. The watering calculator can help you plan a routine for your beds.
Cutting flowers and keeping the garden going
A flower garden is also a cutting garden if you want it to be. Zinnias, sunflowers, dahlias, roses, lilies and cosmos all make excellent cut flowers, and cutting them is good for the plant — it is deadheading with a vase at the end of it. Cut in the morning, when the stems are full of water, cut the stems long, and put them in water straight away. Leave at least a third of the plant behind, so it can keep growing and flowering. Through the season, keep sowing: a second sowing of marigolds or cosmos in midsummer will flower in autumn, when the first sowing is tired. In autumn, plant the spring bulbs — tulips, daffodils and lilies — and lift tender dahlias in a cold climate, storing the tubers in a frost-free place over winter. Clear the annuals when they finish, compost them, and the bed is ready for next spring. Our pruning calendar covers the pruning of roses and other woody flowers.
Pests, diseases and the first year
Flowers have fewer pest problems than fruit or vegetables, and most of them are easy to manage. Slugs and snails eat young seedlings and the low leaves of hostas and dahlias — a nightly patrol, a beer trap, or a ring of grit around the plant will keep them down. Aphids cluster on the soft shoots of roses and sweet peas, and a jet of water or the ladybirds that arrive within a week will deal with them. Black spot on roses spots the leaves and defoliates the plant in a wet summer — pick off the affected leaves, keep the ground clean, and choose a resistant variety next time. Powdery mildew coats the leaves of phlox, roses and zinnias in a dry, humid summer — give the plants room and air, and water the soil, not the leaves. The best defence for all of these is the same: sun, air, clean ground and a plant that is not stressed by drought or overfeeding. If a problem does not fit, the pest identifier helper and the plant disease checker can help you name it.
Frequently asked questions
What is the easiest flower for a complete beginner to grow?
Marigolds and zinnias are the easiest: sow them after the last frost, give them sun and water, and they will flower for months. Sunflowers are the most satisfying, and they are almost foolproof.
When should I plant tulip bulbs?
In autumn, before the ground freezes, at a depth of two or three times the bulb's height, pointed end up, in groups of five or more.
What does deadheading mean, and why does it matter?
Deadheading is picking off faded flowers. It stops the plant setting seed, so the plant makes more flowers instead, and it keeps roses, zinnias, marigolds, petunias and dahlias flowering for weeks longer.
Can I grow flowers in a small garden or on a balcony?
Yes. Petunias, marigolds and zinnias flower for months in pots and baskets, and a sunny balcony can hold a cutting garden in containers. Choose compact varieties and water regularly.
Do flowers need feeding?
Most flowers need only a mulch of compost in spring. Heavy-flowering annuals such as petunias benefit from a liquid feed every two weeks in summer, but too much nitrogen grows leaves instead of flowers.
Flower growing rewards a sunny spot, a little compost and a regular walk around the garden with secateurs in your pocket. Start with marigolds, zinnias and sunflowers, add bulbs in autumn and a perennial or two, and deadhead as you go. Browse the growing guides for the individual flowers, and plan your planting with the garden planner.