If you've been around the Feminine Fancy universe for some time, you know that my love of gardening has grown exponentially. From a small raised bed that housed my calendulas, to rows of beautiful tulips - I've loved adding more and more flowers to my garden each year.
One of the most common messages I get when I post pictures of my flowers and garden on Instagram is, "I really want to start gardening but I have no clue where to start!" I have a post outlining how I got started and what you'll need to begin which you can read here. So in this post, I wanted to go more in depth about what the easiest flowers are to grow, and how you can create your own stunning and whimsical fairy garden in your backyard.
ZINNIAS
I have to start with my absolute favorite Summer flower because I have so many in bloom right now, Zinnias. Zinnias are hands down the easiest flower I've ever grown. They thrive in just about any kind of soil and there's a big reward for very little effort. These stunning flowers are "cut and come again", which means as you cut them to use in your arrangements throughout the season, they will continue to bloom all Summer long. It really is such a great deal! Plant once, and enjoy beautiful blooms for months.
There are several varieties of Zinnias, but my favorites right now are from the Floret shop. These light pink and pastel yellows are such a beautiful addition to the garden and add a touch of femininity to my tabletop arrangements. You don't have to plant them super far apart as you do with some other flowers and they will still bloom and produce gorgeous stems. They are one of my favorite flowers of all time!
TULIPS
Tulips aren't necessarily known for being incredibly easy to grow. They're not usually on the list of what to start with, but I've had nothing but great luck with tulips. Dig the hole for your bulbs deep enough in the Winter, allow the rain from the season to take place, and by Spring, you'll have a beautiful tulip garden! No need to fly to Stockholm or Washington state to marvel at these beautiful flowers, you can grow them yourself at home!
I'm always inspired by Martha Stewart and her phenomenal gardens. Her website is another phenomenal resource for all things gardening.
SUNFLOWERS
Another flower that gives you a LOT of payout for very little effort are sunflowers. These beauties can grow in all kinds of soil and thrive. They have incredibly strong stems and are just a joy to watch grow. I don't think I noticed before how they turn to face the sun at each hour of the day. In the morning they are standing up straight facing East, trying to grab as much sunlight as possible. And by evening, they're facing the complete opposite direction as they attempt to get the last of the sunlight that the day has to offer. It really is a beautiful sight.
If you plant single stem sunflowers, you can plant them fairly close together and they will still bloom. Branching sunflowers have to be planted about 18" apart, but it's worth it because you'll get even more beautiful flowers.
BUPLEURUM
This one is a little more random, but I love bupleurum as a nice filler flower for bouquets. I know it's easy to grow because I planted some back in January, completely forgot about it, and noticed it started blooming around May! This is also just a cool flower! The way the leaves grow around the stem and then sprays out beautiful yellow flowers is a lot of fun.
CALENDULAS
The flower that started it all! Calendulas are another really easy flower to grow and they're another resilient "cut and come again". Plant once, and enjoy for awhile. Back in 2021, after my calendulas began to bloom, they experienced a minor setback when a heat wave came through while I was out of town and unable to protect or water them. When I got back home and saw how scorched they were, I was crushed! I was sure that they were done for. But after giving them a little tlc, more water and some nitrogen, I was able to revive them and enjoy them for a few more years!
Calendulas are also some of my favorites because you can use them for skincare as well! Just dehydrate them and soak in some olive oil for a few weeks to add into your lotions and soaps. Calendula is known for being very moisturizing and good for the skin. So not only are they easy to grow and beautiful, but they're multi-use too!
MARIGOLDS
Another notoriously easy flower to grow is marigolds. Marigolds are super easy to grow because they adapt well to different types of soil and love full sun. They don't need much water once they're established and are great at keeping pests away, so you don't have to use any chemicals. Marigold seeds sprout quickly and bloom all season long, adding bright, cheerful colors to your garden with very little effort.
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