Gardening is one of the most rewarding aspects of my life. From the very beginnings of my garden when I start to think about what I want to plant, to the act of planting it and tending it, I enjoy it all. To imply that gardening is easy is just plain wrong. It takes work to create the garden, but you must nurture it so that it can develop. As with any life form, it cannot survive without attention.
If you are new to gardening, the first thing to consider is your space. How much space do you have? Is your space located in a sunny location or a shady location? That will have a direct impact on what you can or cannot grow. What is your growing zone? The USDA and other organizations have divided the country into various zones that are determined by the coldest winter temperatures. This method is universally used to determine the hardiness of plants.
If you have full sun and haven't done much gardening before, I would recommend some easy to grow flowers that will be very showy and that will not require too much attention. No matter where you live, wildflowers are always a welcome site. Many varieties are easy to grow no matter where you live, and some are hardy enough to with stand very cold temperatures, very hot temperatures and drought. I think I would put all of the varieties of coreopsis at the top of this list. There is lance leaf coreopsis, plains coreopsis, moonbeam coreopsis, tickseed and a host of other varieties, all of which will easily adapt to most conditions. Moonbeam coreopsis never grows very tall. It would be ideal for the front of your garden. Other varieties grow to two or three feet. Placing those further back would be a wise idea. Plains coreopsis is a great flower to plant in poor soil. It will survive in soil that doesn't drain well or in soil that isn't rich and fertile.
Another easy to grow and very adaptable wildflower is yarrow. My favorite varieties are Parker's Gold or Coronation Gold. They both have large flower heads that have very compact and small flowers. They are very resilient and will thrive in most conditions. Like coreopsis, yarrow is a perennial, so you will not have to plant it again year after year.
Monarda or bee balm is also easy to grow. You will generally find this is a magenta or reddish color. It too is a perennial and a wildflower. It is known to attract hummingbirds. It will grow to about 3 or 4 feet, so placing this further back would be advisable. Another flower that is about the same height as Monarda is the coneflower. It is also known by its botanical name Echinacea. The medicinal part of this flower is the root. Purple Coneflower is the most commonly found variety of this flower. It is very hardy, will survive the harshest of winters and will come back year after year. It doesn't require much care either.
Black Eyed Susan is another standard wildflower that grows almost anywhere. It is probably the most common of all American wildflowers. It will grow to two or three feet in height. It is very easy to grow. The success rate with growth from seeds is somewhere around 80%. It thrives in full sunshine and will survive even if neglected. This is a good one for beginning gardeners and for those who don't have time to tend their gardens every day.
Galliarda or blanket flower as it is more commonly called, is another hardy and drought tolerant perennial. It will grow in most places throughout the United States. Easily established from seed, it will form clusters of red, orange and yellow flowers. It is a low growing flower well suited to the front of a flower garden.
Butterfly weed is a very hardy perennial with long lasting flowers that form compact clusters of bright orange flowers that grow from branching stems. This is a must have for anyone wanting to attract butterflies. These flowers produce large amounts of nectar that will feed butterflies throughout the entire growing season.
Corn flower, which is also known as Bachelors Buttons, is an easy to grow and very drought tolerant annual. This delicate flower grows from long thin stems. It doesn't grow very tall, so it is ideally placed in the front of a garden.
The bright and showy spikes of Liatris or Blazing Star, as it is more commonly known, are commonly seen in the eastern part of the United States. This bright colored and spiky perennial will grow as far south as Louisiana. Liatris can grow as tall as six feet and is best suited to fence lines. If planted from seed, it may take as long as three years for the plant to produce flower blooms. Personally, I think this beauty is well worth the wait. It makes an excellent cut flower as well.
Kniphofia, also known as Torch Lily or Red Hot Poker, is hardy from zones 6 and higher. Although not suited to hot desert climates, this beauty will grow well in full sun or light shade as long as it is grown in good draining soil. Unlike some other perennials I have listed, this will not tolerate neglect of lack of water. A native of South Africa, it will add greatly to any flower garden. It is also a great cut flower.
Cosmos is a beautiful and very easy to grow annual that will produce quantities of brightly colored flowers on long thin stems. Ideally, cosmos prefers good draining and rich fertile soil, but I have grown it in poor draining clay soil with success. It is important not to fertilized cosmos. There are many different varieties of cosmos, some of which have single flowers, others that have double. There are dwarf varieties as well. Most of the non-dwarf varieties will grow to heights of two or three feet. Cosmos is easily grown from seed and should germinate in five to seven days. It makes an outstanding cut flower that can last from five to seven days.
I know that I have only mentioned a fraction of the possible flowers to grow in a flower garden. I've attempted to list some of the most common flowers that are the easiest to grow in most parts of the country. I also wanted to be sure to list flowers that are especially hardy and that will tolerate drought and/or neglect. I added a few lesser known but beautiful flowers to add some variety to the mix.
The important things to consider when planning a flower garden are that you need to balance height, color, texture and variety. Plan for the light conditions that each flower you wish to plant requires. Also plant flowers with similar water and fertilizing needs together. The thing about wildflowers, though, is that they survive just fine without any fertilizer. Know too, that when you plant wildflowers such as the ones I have mentioned, they will spread, so keep that in mind when planning your garden. Once they start to spread, you will need to divide them. The wonderful thing about planting perennials that spread is that you have the resources with which to expand your garden, add new beds or plant things elsewhere right at your finger tips. Don't expect to see any flowers in all of their full glory the first year you plant them. It takes a while for them to grow, acclimate to their environment and develop a strong root system that can nourish them.