Gardening for beginners: 12 easy flowers to grow for a beautiful garden

If you wish to start a new activity, gardening can be one of the best options. It not only enhances your living space but your mental space too. However, it can be a bit tricky for beginners and hence we’ve curated a list of some of the easiest flowers to grow in Malaysia, which can be a gorgeous addition to your garden.

A colourful flower garden not just adds to the decor but instantly lifts up the mood too. The fresh and natural fragrance of flowers elevates the overall space. In fact, it can be one of the peaceful places in your house to read a book, enjoy a cup of tea, listen to music or just sit back and relax.

But, to begin with, you need to consider the quality of soil, sunlight and water requirements to nurture the plants properly. At times it may be frustrating for beginners to attend to some delicate plants but our list has you covered. It includes the ones which don’t need constant monitoring and are low-maintenance, with easy gardening tips too.

Some of these plants bloom throughout the year, some are annual while some are seasonal. Why not take a look!

Here are some of the best easy-growing flowers for beginners

Rose

With over 30,000 varieties across the world, roses are one of the most beautiful flowers. They represent love, purity, friendship and affection.

The best time to plant roses is during early spring. Pre-soaking the bare root plant in water for a day before plantation helps with the plant’s growth. Additionally, choose well-drained potting soil and place the plant in a sunny corner where it can get at least six hours of direct sunlight.

Spring is also the best time to add fertilisers to roses. The monthly addition of garden compost, manure and other organic fertilisers enhances its growth.

Also, do not forget to water the plant regularly to see them flourish. As roses are prone to fungal infections, and as a plant parent you should look for black spots and powdery mildew to avoid them.

Marigold

Marigold is a common, easy-to-grow annual flower that brings a golden allure to your garden. You may notice the wide varieties easily available in local markets.

It attracts bees, butterflies, ladybugs and other insects to your garden, keeping up with the ecological aspect.

Marigolds are not affected by the type of soil but medium fertile and well-drained soil works well for the plant. Water the plants regularly but do not let them get wet feet as it increases the risk of fungal infections like powdery mildew. As a gardener, you have to protect the plants from spider mites and aphids.

Marigolds love sunshine and they can thrive in hot summers too. They grow well even without fertiliser but you can add garden compost to enhance their growth.

Spring to midsummer is the best time for planting them, without any danger of frosting. If everything goes well you can see the sprout within a few days and see the plant bloom within 8 weeks.

Sunflowers

Sunflowers are the most popular heliotropic flowers (ones that change their motion with sunlight). You can notice this characteristic while they are still young and not full of seeds. Though the flowers also come in red, green and white hues, the bright yellow ones are classic.

While buying the saplings be aware of the height they will grow into. Some sunflowers grow up to 50cm while some can grow up to 3m.

Use good quality soil and don’t miss watering the plants every morning. You can use well-rotted manure and feed the plants tomatoes before flowering to enhance their beauty and growth. The plants can mature within three months.

Try to cultivate them in a sunny corner where it can get 6-8 hours of sunlight. As their guardian, you have to keep the slugs and snails away so that they can’t harm the young plants. You can use different tools like slug pellets or copper tape to restrict them. Additionally, use a garden fungicide to keep downy mildew, rust and powdery mildew away.

Zinnia

Zinnias are low-maintenance and inexpensive annual flowers that add colour to your garden. Its varieties aren’t only limited to colours as many flowers have a single row of petals, some have so many that you can’t see the centre, while some have a moderate number of them.

They are heat tolerant but sensitive to frost. So, wait to make the flower bed till winter is over and the temperature is above twenty degrees (20°C).

Water the plant base and deadhead the plants regularly to see profuse growth. But be cautious about water logging as it can result in powdery mildew.

Petunia

Petunias are another great choice to add some colour, pop and texture to your garden. These plants can even flower in extreme heat.

Decent quality soil with a good drainage system works well for petunias. It needs a lot of sunlight to germinate so place them on the sunny side of your garden to see them flourish more.

You can use organic compost or manure to fertilise the soil or use a liquid fertiliser as well. Petunias don’t demand a lot of watering but try to water them at least once a week. Though it can change according to the planter.

Keep the plants safe from the risk of aphids, snails and slugs.

Sweet Alyssum

Sweet alyssum is an annual plant that creates a colourful carpet for your garden. The lively fragrance of these little flowers fills the space. They bloom well in less hot seasons but love sunlight and come in pink, salmon, white, purple and yellow shades.

The plant needs moderately rich soil with even moisture to bloom. Early spring is the best time to cultivate sweet alyssum.

An inch of water every week is the minimum requirement for its healthy growth. You can also spray some liquid fertiliser to augment the growth.

If you plant sweet alyssum in a wet area, it might get infected with Botrytis blight. So, keep an eye out for that.

Jasmine

Jasmine is a plant with glossy green leaves and delicate white flowers with an extraordinary exotic fragrance, which is so sweet that it can brighten up a dull day. Most of these are found in vines or bushes and have an evergreen lush that makes a beautiful green addition to your garden.

Novice gardeners may be worried about the effort it takes to grow a jasmine plant but it’s not that cumbersome.

The best time to plant a jasmine plant is from June to October and it blooms from early spring to summer. Use well-drained but moist and fertile soil to cultivate it. Keep ample gaps between jasmine and other plants as it hates crowded spaces.

As it is a vine, you have to train it while it’s young. You can use a fence or a trellis to support and tie the vines with the fence in gentle knots. Place it at the side of your garden where it can get ample sunlight and enough afternoon shade. You can use neem oil or horticultural oil to deter fungal infections like spider mites.

Cosmos

Cosmos are very low-maintenance annuals that can thrive even in hot summers and poor soil conditions. The dainty flowers resemble daisies a lot but come in various colours.

When it is time to bid goodbye to winters, sow or sprinkle some cosmos seeds in your garden.

Try to use neutral or alkaline soil that is not too rich but has a good drainage system. Give it roughly two months to bloom. If you want to see a lot of flowers covering the plant, place it where it can get full sun.

Prune off the dead flowers and stems to enhance the growth of the plant, but if you are a forgetful plant parent, that won’t be an issue with cosmos. It needs very minimum watering and fertilisers to grow. It even tends to self-sow every year.

Impatiens

Impatiens are colourful little flower plants with unique charm and add much colour and texture to your garden. They don’t do well in the sun but they thrive in deep shade. You can sow different coloured flower plants close to each other to get a beautiful flower bed.

These annuals need enough water to bloom so don’t forget to water them regularly otherwise they wilt. Use rich soil for them and add nutrients and fertilisers to enhance their growth in the blooming season.

The plants tend to get infected with red spider mites and aphids. Planting garlic, rosemary, chamomile or other aromatic herbs near the plants help protect the saplings.

Hibiscus

With over 200 species in a wide range of colours and sizes, hibiscus is an impressive plant to add to your garden. Its big, colourful petals attract butterflies, hummingbirds and bees.

There are various perennial hibiscuses that are hardy and easy to grow. It thrives in a warm climate but some varieties grow well in cooler temperatures too. Place it in a sunny location getting 6-8 hours of sunlight in a day.

Use moist and fertile soil with good drainage to plant the trees. Though it can withstand alkaline soil, it flourishes better in slightly acidic soil.

Hibiscus plants need regular watering during the growing and blooming season. Nitrogen fertiliser and annual pruning help grow the plant profusely.

Lavender

This Mediterranean plant is bushy and has a diverse use as herb. Though purple lavenders are wildly famous, some hybrids also come in other pastel shades. It is better for beginners to purchase saplings for their garden.

These plants aren’t too picky about the soil quality and grow well even in poor, sandy soil. But the plant demands a good drainage system and lots of sunlight to bloom properly.

Start planting when it is a bit warmer (more than 15°C). Watering the plants once every two weeks is enough. If you notice yellow hues on the leaves, it is a sign of overwatering. Try to prune the plants every autumn for healthier growth.

Additionally, you can cover them with mulch to reduce the risk of weeds. If you notice any fungal infections on the plant, remove the infected parts as soon as possible.

Crossandra

Crossandra is an easy-growing flower plant with lush green foliage and bright orange flower petals. It also makes a lovely houseplant in tropical and humid areas and blooms well with the help of fluorescent artificial light. This plant is native to India and Sri Lanka and is commonly known as the ‘firecracker flower.’

The plant loves hot and humid weather but it blooms well in partially shaded areas. However, in winter you can place them in direct sunlight.

Use moderately rich soil with adequate drainage and keep watering the plant to keep the soil moist, especially in summer. Reduce watering during winter as it is very sensitive to cooler temperatures.

(Main and Featured image courtesy: Gary Barnes/Pexels)