Tulips and daffodils. Zinnias and lavender. Lilacs and peonies. I love flowers, all kinds of flowers. Back in my pre-kid days, I had a 20 x 40 foot cottage garden with white picket fence, stone path, rose covered walkway and wicker seating. Well, that’s not happening now, at least not RIGHT now. Because 20 x 40 foot flower gardens produce 20 x 40 feet worth of weeds that need to be pulled and flowers that need to be watered. So, what is a busy mom supposed to do? Forget the flowers for a decade or two? Buy a wilted bunch of tulips at the grocery store for some floral beauty? Nope. I’ve created a list of 10 easy garden flowers for busy moms so you can actually ENJOY flower gardening.
I believe busy moms can have beautiful, vintage-style flowers without the headache, without hours to tend said flowers (because you know we ain’t got no time for that). Here is my guide to easy, low maintenance flowers perfect for a busy lifestyle. Whether you have a couple pots or plot of dirt in front of your home, these low maintenance, vintage style flowers will give you loads of blooms that remind you of grandma’s house. (And if you’re interested in easy house plants, see my post HERE.)
Note: I am in Zone 6 (south central Midwest). The United States is split into “zones” according to climate. Certain flowers grow better in certain zones. Simply Google “growing zone” to find your number and to make growing flowers easier.
These beauties are hardy and give SO MANY blooms in mid to late summer. So when the burst of spring color dies off, and you’re left with sweltering heat, the tall phlox with burst forth with a long wave of color. They spread like crazy too, so they will fill in an area and create less space for weeds to grow.
I think these are native in my area, and they grow great. These beautiful flower are not persnickety about being watered. They also spread though not overwhelmingly so. Let the heads go to seed for more next year (or to share with a friend) or cut the heads off for continual flowering.
Who doesn’t love a simple white daisy? They are sweet and innocent and perfect for any space. They will slowly spread, so if you need an entire space filled in, they will do great. Keep cutting the flowers for more blooms to appear.
Happiest in shade but fine in partial sun, these are super easy and fill in an area with large green leaves for a garden’s version of “white space.” Once you get a plant, each year in the spring, you can cut it in have with a spade and plant the new (free) plant somewhere else.
Aaaaah, the smell of sweet lavender in summer. My only complaint that it doesn’t bloom all year long. But the more you cut it, the more it blooms. It’s simple, easy to care for and oh-so-fragrant.
Iris comes in so many colors and is a burst of beauty in spring. They don’t spread much at all, but are great spring flowers that are perfect for cutting. Also, their spiky leaves give good textural interest during the rest of the season..
- Zinnias
Sweet, easy peasy zinnias. These are some of the only flowers I can grow from seed. I sprinkle seed into the dirt in very early spring, and these bright blooms give me joy all summer long. I love to clip one or several for vases around the house.
Taking a little more time and care to get this beauty started is worth it. It’s a pretty simple rose that will climb wherever you train the vines to go. It gives such a perfectly vintage scent with it’s pink flowers. AND it’s perfect for cutting.
- Herbs – mint, cilantro, basil, dill,
Don’t forget about herb plants when you want a garden. They pack a double punch with filling in space in your flower garden and giving you much needed fresh herbs for your summer cooking!
- Vegetables
You don’t have to have a vegetable garden to enjoy some homegrown vegies. These can be put in your flower garden or on your porch for visual beauty as well as yummy goodness. Just make sure they get full sun so they can grow to their full potential. Also, have good support around the tomatoes so your beautiful garden doesn’t turn into a jungle around July.
Try one to three of these easy garden flowers (vegetables) for busy moms. Make it a family project of planting some zinnia seeds and seeing them come up. Or enjoy an evening of training a beautiful climbing rose up a trellis. The most important thing is that you start small and make it enjoyable. It’s the journey of growing something beautiful that makes it fun and lasting.
