what are some good flowers to plant for a new "gardener"?

Question

I want to plant some colorful flowers outside---but I have never gardened and I need something that will pretty much be taken care of by the sun and rain. Any ideas?

Answer 1

Marigolds and 4 O'Clocks are pretty easy to care for. I have seen 4 O'Clocks grown in some pretty rocky, poor soil.
Marigolds don't need much water and the deer don't seem to eat them either.

Have fun with your garden!

Answer 2

Zinnias are good. There drought tolerant so thy dont need much water, although water wont harm em. They love the sun, but will take a little shade. Dollar stores usually sell a mix of colors and there 4 for a dollar so you wont waste much money on seeds. There pretty much fool proof. Just keep the ground moist till they grow a few sets of leaves, after that they just need water once a week, or if it rains often where you are maybe no water at all

Answer 3

Self-seeding annuals are particularly attractive: They sow themselves, giving gardeners a terrific return on their investment. Shirley poppies (Papaver rhoeas) pop up in pale pinks, roses and chiffon-thin whites, bloom for about a month and leave decorative little seed heads that pepper beds with next year's crop. If you sow Danish Flag poppies (they have clear red flowers) and interplant both types with blue bachelor's buttons, you'll have everything you need for patriotic Fourth of July bouquets.

Other self-seeders that extend the season until frost: love-in-a-mist (Nigella), which has pale blue flowers followed by ornate seed pods, and three-foot-tall pink or white cleomes, spider flowers, which have weirdly wonderful flying-green-bean seed pods.
White-flowering tobacco (both Nicotiana alata and N. sylvestris) releases an intoxicating fragrance into the night. Plant plenty (N. alata grows about three feet tall, N. sylvestris about four) in beds and borders and under the bedroom window. Sweet peas (Lathyrus odoratus), an old-fashioned perfumer make lovely house bouquets. These will get ratty after spring.
Try hot-colored calendulas (yellows, golds and oranges) or the 'Lemon Gem' marigold, a finer-than-ordinary variety with small single yellow flowers and ferny lemon-scented foliage. A mix of zinnias in vibrant pinks, reds, oranges and yellows will make your garden look like a Frida Kahlo painting. Star Hybrid zinnias make mounds of blooms to soften border edges. Also experiment with wild, vine like magenta Petunia integrifolia by allowing it to scamper through manly maroon perilla, which looks like big purple basil.
Madness Series petunias or 'Purple Wave' (named an All-America Selections winner petunia) blooms all summer without being pinched back. Purple was the first color of the series, but now you can buy pink, lavender, lilac, and blue versions as well.
Easy Wave Series; they grow 8 to 10 inches tall and about 3 feet wide. But it's the new Tidal Wave Series that has me foaming at the mouth. Their 2-inch blooms just shrug off summer showers without missing a beat. 'Tidal Wave Silver,' noted for its silvery-white petals and dark purple centers, can even survive some winters in Alabama gardens and bloom through a second summer.

Hybrid Millifloras, a new class of dwarf petunias. Forming mounds 6 to 8 inches high and wide, they need no pinching to keep blooming. Small 1- to 1 1/2-inch flowers come in every color except yellow. Fantasy Series are perfect for containers and hanging baskets.
Supertunia and Surfinia Series. Used in beds, they grow practically flat; they're wonderful cascaders when planted in containers. Both come in a full range of colors and never require pinching.

Other Annuals For Sun
lantana: particularly lavender popcorn
coleus: The foliage is as colorful as any flower and several new ones are bred for the sun. Older versions prefer shade.
melampodium: cheerful, bright green foliage and is profusely covered with 1-inch yellow, daisy-like flowers sporting darker centers, dappled shade in the south
persian shield: large silver viened plum leaves
salvia: old-fashioned blue 'Victoria' salvia.
larkspur: poor man's self seeding delphinium

Answer 4

Calendula officinalis.
California poppy

Answer 5

try going to hgtv.com. They have all the gardening & landscaping shows on cable. Great plans, tips, pics & care info on what's best for your area.

Answer 6

Sorry, can't help you without knowing what region you are and what climate you have.

Answer 7

clown face pansies, they are my favorite!