Size: Up to 4 feet tall and wide
25 Low-Maintenance Perennial Flowers Perfect for Beginners
These easy-to-grow perennials make gardening a snap for beginners and experts alike.
Sheryl Geerts is an editor and author who has nearly three decades of writing and editing experience. She enjoys writing about garden, food, and home topics. Her bylines have appeared in Better Homes and Gardens, Allrecipes, Martha Stewart Living, and several other publications.
Updated on March 1, 2023
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With hundreds of species and varieties, picking the most low-maintenance perennial flowers that can thrive without needing much from you can be challenging, especially if you’re a new gardener. To simplify matters, this list of easy-to-grow perennials will point you in the right direction.
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Coneflower
Hot, sunny weather won’t stop coneflower from producing armloads of flowers from early summer until fall. This low-maintenance perennial flower is a native plant that’s easy to grow and comes in purple, white, yellow, orange, and red. Most varieties have single flowers, but some newer hybrids sport eye-popping double blooms. The nectar-rich flowers will also attract butterflies and hummingbirds to your garden.
Name: Echinacea
Growing Conditions: Full sun to part shade in dry to medium moist, well-drained soil
Size: Up to 3 feet tall and 2 feet wide
Zones: 3-8
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Lanceleaf Coreopsis
Equally at home in containers or the landscape, lanceleaf coreopsis is a must-have perennial for novice and experienced gardeners alike. This tough native plant will thrive in poor soil and doesn’t mind drought or heat while putting on its show of golden daisy-like flowers from late spring into summer.
Name: Coreopsis lanceolata
Growing Conditions: Full sun in dry to medium moist, well-drained soil
Size: Up to 2 feet tall and 18 inches wide
Zones: 4-9
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Site it right.
Starting a garden is just like real estate it’s all about location. Place your garden in a part of your yard where you’ll see it regularly (out of sight, out of mind definitely applies to gardening). That way, you’ll be much more likely to spend time in it.
Follow the sun.
Misjudging sunlight is a common pitfall when you’re first learning to garden. Pay attention to how sunlight plays through your yard before choosing a spot for your garden. Most edible plants, including many vegetables, herbs, and fruits, need at least 6 hours of sun in order to thrive.
One of the best gardening tips you’ll ever get is to plan your new garden near a water source. Make sure you can run a hose to your garden site, so you don’t have to lug water to it each time your plants get thirsty. The best way to tell if plants need watering is to push a finger an inch down into the soil (that’s about one knuckle deep). If it’s dry, it’s time to water.
Start with great soil.
When starting a garden, one of the top pieces of advice is to invest in soil that is nutrient-rich and well-drained. Achieve this just-right blend by mixing 3 inches of Miracle-Gro® All Purpose Garden Soil into the top 6 to 8 inches of existing soil if you’re planning to plant in the ground. If you’re planting in a raised bed, use Miracle-Gro® Raised Bed Soil, which is the perfect weight and texture for raised bed growing.
When space is at a premium, look to containers. You can grow many plants in pots, including vegetables, herbs, flowers, fruit trees, berries, and shrubs. When gardening in containers, use a pot that’s large enough for the plant it’s hosting, and fill it with Miracle-Gro® Moisture Control® Potting Mix. Not only is it specially formulated to help plants in pots thrive, but it also helps protect against over- and under-watering.
