Starting flowers from seed gives plants a jumpstart on developing healthy roots for earlier flowering. It also ensures diversity with a huge selection to choose from. It is also budget-friendly, with the capacity to produce more plants from a single packet (which stores for up to a few years to use from season to season). Seed-starting lets us try new varieties and incorporate heirlooms that are full of garden history and strong performance.
Beginner-friendly seeds are often quick to flower without special germination requirements. Sowing and growing don’t require intensive oversight. The only thing to watch for with many easy-growing selections is their capacity to reseed—a bonus for future flowering but with the potential to spread. Deadheading helps promote more blooms while limiting reseeding where you don’t want rampant volunteer seedlings.
When planning to sow easy flowers, plan around the anticipated frost date for your area, especially when deciding the timing of seed sowing. Your USDA growing zone helps determine planting times and winter hardiness. Decide if you want to direct sow seeds (easy surface-sowing, right in the garden bed). Other methods include simple winter sowing, indoor seed starting, and soil blocking. Follow the sowing recommendations on the seed packet to streamline the timing.
Here are the best flower seeds for beginners!
Zinnia ‘State Fair Mix’
Zinnias of all sorts bring dynamic annual color with large, vibrant, double-disc flowers. Their blooms range from white to magenta to lime. Heat-loving, they bloom continuously as temperatures warm through frost.
‘State Fair Mix’ is a carnival of color with jumbo, five-inch blooms in red, purple, pink, orange, yellow, and bicolors. The heirloom, bred to be an award winner with vigor and high yields, performs well in high heat with good disease resistance. Strong, upright stems hold single blooms on a mounded form.
Zinnia flowers are easy for beginners to grow from seed. Direct sow in warm soils after the final frost, or start indoors four to six weeks prior. While not essential, cut-and-come-again zinnias respond well to deadheading to promote more blooms (so use them freely in fresh floral arrangements). They need ample air circulation and well-drained soil for the best health.
French Marigold ‘Red Cherry’
French marigolds produce large pom pon blooms in single or double flowers. In sunny yellow, gold, and crimson, the frilled petals contrast handsomely with feathery, dark green foliage.
‘Red Cherry’ has bright red, prolific blooms with a compact habit. These flowers grow easily from seed and thrive until heavy frost, making them perfect for beginner gardeners. Blooming slows in the heat of summer and resumes as cooler temperatures arrive.
For best growth, provide organically rich soils with good drainage. Deadhead spent blooms to promote budding and blooming.
Sunflower ‘Earthwalker’
Sunflowers bloom from summer until frost, their cheery faces following the sun as it travels. ‘Earthwalker’ on tall stems glows in red, orange, gold, and mahogany hues. As a multi-stemmed heirloom, side branches produce the coppery blooms in bunches. The warm tones and late-season flowers usher in autumn and shine in fresh-cut floral arrangements.
Sunflowers grow quickly from seed and thrive in the summer heat, even tolerating drought once established. Their best direct sown after the final frost passes. To start them indoors a week or two before the last frost, do so in biodegradable pots or soil blocks to avoid disturbing sensitive roots at transplanting. Sow sunflowers in successional crops for continuous flowering, with a final round in mid-summer.
Arrange them in groups for impact, where their bright blooms attract pollinators. Harvest some seedheads and let others stand as a fall food source for songbirds and small mammals.
Cosmos ‘Apricotta’
Sun-loving cosmos produce colorful ray flowers throughout the warm season on tall, airy stems. This summer annual is native to the Americas and lends a wildflower look to the display. Daisy-like flowers in vivid shades of yellow, bright pink, lavender, red, and chocolate (and many more) grow easily with little care.
‘Apricotta’ is an award-winning variety with blooms in multiple peachy pink shades. Petals have lavender-pink interiors that fade to dusky apricot. The centers are bright yellow buttons, and the effect is a smoothie swirl of color.
Cosmos are unfussy and prefer hot, dry conditions with variable soils. Too much water, fertilizer, and organic richness hinders their vigor. Grow cosmos in a mass planting for color and to attract pollinators. When flowers finish blooming and go to seed, cut stems back to 12 to 18 inches tall for a quick rebloom. Let the cut stems fall in place so new seeds germinate for the next generation of blooms.
Amaranth ‘Coral Fountain’
‘Coral Fountain’ amaranth overflows with tassel flowers in dusky rose and apricot. Flowering from late summer through frost, the pendulous blooms suspend from arching stems in a weeping spray color.
Amaranth adds lasting color and texture to fresh and dried floral designs. Like ‘Coral Fountain,’ ‘Emerald Tassels’ and ‘Emerald Tails’ are varieties with ropes of trailing blooms but in green shades, and ‘Red Spike’ arches gracefully in deep red. ‘Hot Biscuits’ features mellow amber and tawny plumes for textural filler.
Aztecs and earlier American cultures domesticated amaranth thousands of years ago and relied on it as a significant food source. This historic grain grows worldwide because of its nutritious seeds and easy growth. Seeds dry on the stem; leave some intact for foraging songbirds.
Plains Coreopsis
Coreopsis brings masses of sunny blooms to the wildflower arrangement. It reseeds readily for many seasons of color and is often one of the first to spring up and last to fade.
Plains coreopsis is a North American native wildflower with showy yellow daisy-like petals with deep red highlights and brown button central discs. Though considered an annual, a single plant may flower for two to three years. They also self-seed.
Coreopsis is a favorite nectar and pollen source for bees, butterflies, and other beneficial insects. Songbirds forage on the seeds in fall and winter. While they grow and flower best with regular moisture in well-draining soils, these durable growers tolerate dry conditions and varying soils.
Nasturtium ‘Tip Top Mix’
Nasturtium flourishes in mild seasonal temperatures. Its stems mound, climb, or trail with round leaves and vibrant orange, red, and yellow tubular blooms. With a loose form, nasturtium lends itself to informal and naturalistic designs, bridging the annual and edible arrangement and drawing pollinators like hummingbirds.
‘Tip Top Mix’ is a dwarf, bushy variety with loads of bright gold, red, orange, and white single blooms atop softly mounding foliage. The edible round leaves and large tubular flowers make a lovely garnish for summer salads and platters.
Nasturtiums are easy-to-grow annuals in beds, hanging baskets, window boxes, and containers. They tolerate dry conditions and partial shade (especially beneficial in hot, southern climates). Regular moisture and good drainage are best for flowering.
Calendula ‘Pink Surprise’
Calendula is long-blooming and produces bright ray flowers in rich yellow, orange, pink, ivory, and bicolor varieties. In cool climates, the flowers emerge from spring to frost. In hotter growing zones, it grows best in the cool temperatures of fall and spring and even over the winter for seasonal color.
Calendula is a frost-tolerant annual that is easy to grow except in high summer heat. It grows quickly from seed, blooming in as little as 30 days after germination. Leaves and flowers are edible for a fresh garnish or dried for teas and baking. Whole flowers dry beautifully for arrangements.
‘Pink Surprise’ is a lovely heirloom variety with double blooms in warm peachy pink. Heat tolerant, it boasts a long bloom season from April through October in mild climates.
Celosia ‘Flamingo’
Celosia carries plumes in brilliant colors that stand out in the annual composition and endure in fresh and dried florals. Depending on the group, flowers appear as plumes, spires, or ruffly fan shapes. The cristata group represents cockscomb celosias with large, ruffled flowers like a rooster’s wobbly comb. The plumosa group has feathery plumes, and spicata blooms have naturally arching spikes like a sheaf of wheat.
‘Flamingo’ is a spicata with soft, rosy pink and silvery bloom spikes. As they age, the light silver becomes more prominent. Sow these six to eight weeks before conditions warm.
Celosia readily reseeds in the garden. Deadhead spent blooms to prevent unwanted reseeding and pluck any volunteers.
Scarlet Flax
Scarlet flax is an eye-catching heirloom annual with a profusion of red flowers that attract pollinators. It’s an easy bloomer and, without deadheading, self-seeds for recurrent color. For a perennial flax, Blue and Breezy’ produces edible seeds from sky-blue flowers.
These easy-care, low-maintenance growers tolerate variable conditions, including heat, humidity, and cool weather. Direct sow ‘Scarlet’ by scattering seeds on moist soil and gently tamping for contact. The seeds require light exposure to germinate, so there’s no need to cover them with soil. Sow them every two to four weeks from spring through fall for ongoing color.
Bachelor Button ‘Polka Dot Mix’
Annual cornflower has rich blue ruffled flowers that flush in late spring and early summer with a light repeat bloom in fall. The full petals on upright stems attract butterflies, followed by birds who enjoy the seeds post-bloom.
‘Polka Dot Mix’ is a blend of blue, violet, pink, red, and white blooms on compact stems. The complementary shades bring a wave of color to the border or container arrangement and are edible as a pretty garnish.
Sow bachelor buttons outdoors one to two weeks before the final frost. In warm climates, sow in late summer for blooms through winter and spring. In their prime growing conditions, especially in northern climates, cornflower reseeds aggressively and can become invasive. Deadhead blooms to prevent reseeding. Asters, fleabane, and penstemon offer native, non-invasive alternatives to the carefree cornflower. These perennial selections have cultivars in shades of violet and blue.
Poppy ‘Mother of Pearl’
The common poppy (also Flanders or corn poppy) has broad, tissuey petals and contrasting yellow centers that are pollinator magnets. The easy-to-grow annuals prefer cool weather and die back in the heat of summer.
‘Mother of Pearl’ is a shimmering mix of tall, papery blooms on slender stems. The silky petals wave in pink, white, lilac, and cream.
Direct sow poppies to avoid disturbing sensitive roots at transplanting. Plant seeds as soon as the soil is workable, about four to six weeks before your final spring frost date. As flowers fade, remove spent blooms to prevent reseeding if you don’t want future volunteers.
P. nudicale (Iceland poppy), and P. orientale (Oriental poppy) are also popular species with a range of colors. The ‘Champagne Mix’ Iceland poppy brings pastel shades with delicate blooms on wiry stems. Oriental poppies in crimson and scarlet (among others) with dark centers bear large flowers for a sweep of color en masse.
Strawflower ‘King Size Silvery Rose’
Strawflower is a warm-season annual with stiff, papery blooms in white, yellow, orange, pink, and red. The long-lasting display lasts from spring until frost.
‘King Size Silvery Rose’ boasts double blooms in white, soft rose, and pink shades. Also called “everlastings,” strawflower is beautiful in fresh and dried florals. ‘Silvery Rose’ dries to light silver to brighten arrangements.
Carefree strawflower grows in average to dry soils, tolerating drought. Remove spent flowers to encourage new shoots and additional flowering.
Sweet Pea ‘Beaujolais’
Ornamental sweet peas delight with fragrant, colorful blooms on twining vines. The popular springtime growers also perform beautifully in autumn when the sweet perfume is a surprise. ‘Beaujolais’ is a rich wine-colored variety for visual contrast. It has large blooms and improved heat tolerance for extended flowering.
Sweet peas are frost-tolerant and grow quickly from seed. Direct sow them outdoors four to six weeks before your final frost date. Ideal growing temperatures are between 55 and 65°F (13-18°C).
Sweet peas cling and climb; for best growth, they need a support structure like a tripod or trellis. Use them as a container focal point for vertical interest. Dwarf varieties quickly reach two to three feet and don’t require support. ‘Little Sweetheart’ is a bush-type with ruffled pink blossoms, ideal for pots and hanging baskets.
Sweet Alyssum ‘Tiny Tim’
Sweet alyssum is a delicate annual with globes of white, pink, or purple pincushion flowers that cover the mounding foliage in fall and spring. Its sweet honey scent and profusion of blooms attract pollinators and other beneficial insects.
Sweet alyssum is easy-care and grows best in well-draining soils. In high summer heat, leaves turn yellow and fade. In moderate climates, they revive and resume blooming with cooler temperatures. Treat them as cool-season annuals for spring and fall in hot, southern zones.
‘Tiny Tim’ is an early-blooming variety with compact mounding foliage. The globe blooms create a low spray of snow white in the border front or container edge.
Sweet alyssum naturally reseeds in the landscape. Leave plants in place over the fall and winter to drop seeds and for insulation. Pluck the old plants in the spring to reveal seedlings.
Yarrow ‘Paprika’
Yarrow is a native North American perennial with large, flat flower heads that rise in clusters above feathery, ferny foliage. It thrives in the heat, making it a good partner for drought-tolerant perennials and showy annuals like zinnias and cosmos.
Achillea ‘Paprika’ is spicy in red and rust with prolific bloom clusters atop sturdy stems. Yellow centers bring a bright contrast and draw pollinators. Start seeds indoors early, six to eight weeks before frost passes. Or, easily direct sow them after frost passes.
There are many outstanding yarrow cultivars in varying heights and colors. This low-maintenance wildflower needs little more than a sunny spot with well-draining soil to thrive.
Gomphrena ‘Fireworks’
Gomphrena, or globe amaranth, is an old garden favorite with petite pink, red, gold, magenta, or white flowers. Flowers have a papery texture and cheery, globe-shaped pom-pom blooms.
Gomphrena ‘Fireworks’ flourishes during the warm season with quick growth and tall stems with hot pink powder puffs. Each puff glows with little tips of bright yellow. ‘Fireworks’ has an airy texture and blooms more prolifically than others. Slender stems float above other plants, show-stopping in a mass and floral arrangements, fresh or dried.
Gomphrena grows best in full sun and well-drained soils. It’s a tough summer annual that thrives with neglect. It withstands heat, humidity, and dry conditions and may overwinter in mild climates. Direct sow seeds after the threat of frost passes.
