The garden center is my Eden. Full of possibility, intrigue, even a bit of mystery.

But, for the beginner, it can be a bit overwhelming.

With so many options, it’s difficult to know which plants are best for your particular garden—especially if you’re just starting out.

With this in mind, I wanted to share the first three plants I’d recommend to any new gardener.

A note on annuals and perennials

Annuals and perennials are the two main categories of flowers, and they can be tough to remember.

If you have a very small outdoor space, like a balcony, annuals may be the better bet. They’ll provide color all summer long, and can be disposed of once winter comes.

If you have more outdoor space, like a backyard or full garden, a mix of annuals and perennials will ensure continuous color and lasting allure.

To accommodate whichever planting space you have, I’ve included a “first three” list for both annuals and perennials! And if you want to dive deeper into annuals and perennials, check out this post.

Your first three: Annuals edition

Petunias

Petunias offer a mound of rich color from May through first frost.

They come in every color (there are an abundance of multi-color options too) and several color patterns—solid, striped, speckled, ombre, pinwheel, you name it.

These annuals are excellent both in the ground and in containers, and can be found in abundance at any garden center.

☀️ Needs full sun, 💦 likes a lot of water, 🌼 flourishes with weekly fertilizing

Geraniums

Geraniums feature both vibrant colors and attractive foliage, blooming from May through first frost.

In colors of pink, red, white, peach and pink-purple, their flowers sit in a cluster atop the plant’s stems. This makes them a great choice for combining with shorter or trailing flowers (like petunias!).

A quick, but confusing note: Annual geraniums are technically Pelargoniums, though most people just call them geraniums. There is also a perennial flower called hardy geranium, which is a completely separate plant (more on that below!).

☀️ Needs full sun, 💧 likes a moderate amount of water, 🌼 flourishes with fertilizing every 2 weeks

Impatiens

For a shaded garden, you can’t go wrong with impatiens.

They pack massive bloom power, with hundreds of blooms per plant from May until your first frost.

There are a multitude of colors available, with flowers in single blooms or more voluminous double blooms.

Impatiens grow quickly. Try planting a few small plants in a cluster—they will fill out the space in no time!

⛅ Needs shade, 💦 likes a lot of water, 🌼 flourishes with weekly fertilizing

Your first three: Perennials edition

Knockout roses

You will find roses in just about any collection I create, because I think they are one of the most well-rounded, value-adding plants in the garden. (We’ll dive deeper into roses in an upcoming issue—stay tuned! 👀).

Knockout roses, in particular, offer: brilliant color in pinks, oranges, apricots, reds, yellows and whites, intoxicating fragrance, blooms from spring through frost, and easy care.

Knockout is a brand of rose plants, and is available at most garden centers.

☀️ Needs full sun, 🌧️ rain water suffices after year one, 🌼 flourishes with fertilizing once a year

Hardy geraniums

As mentioned above, hardy geraniums are a completely different plant than annual geraniums. They’re also called cranesbill.

Many perennials flower once a year, for a short period of time. Not cranesbill. These light and airy plants have a mounding habit and flower from May until your first frost.

The flowers come in purples and pinks, and can be almost completely ignored after their first year. My favorite is a variety called Rozanne, which is widely available at garden centers.

🌤️ Technically requires full fun, but has a lovely airy quality in part shade, 🌧️ rain water suffices after year one, 🌼 no need to fertilize

Hostas

The hosta is the stalwart of the garden, if I do say so myself.

Low to the ground, hostas are grown for their large, beautiful leaves—which range from blue-green to lime green to emerald with white accents.

There are so many different types of hostas, you’re sure to find the color and size that fits your garden best. You can even cluster a few varieties in groups of threes for extra impact.

It’s worth mentioning that hostas do flower briefly. A long stem emerges from the center, sporting a few purple, white or pink flowers. It’s not particularly attractive and you could cut it off if you prefer—but hummingbirds love them so I usually keep them on.

⛅ Prefers shade, but varieties that are closer to lime/yellow can tolerate sun, 🌧️ rain water suffices after year one, 🌼 no need to fertilize

🌸 Flower I’m admiring

Hold onto your hats, friends. It’s peony season.

The peonies in my garden have been teasing me for quite awhile. A few of my pink varieties have had buds since April! But finally, they are all in bloom.

I have five different varieties planted around the yard. One of my favorites is the Coral Charm—which starts off a dazzling neon pink, shifts to a romantic peach then fades to a beautiful buff color.

📚 Book I’m reading

Cake by Maira Kalman. I love every one of her books—but this one in particular, as I have recently been overtaken by the urge to bake summer cakes and serve them atop green cabbage plates alongside homemade lemonade.

🍄 What I’m inspired by

Last week I shared King Charles’ outdoor office. It sent me down a rabbit hole, one that I’d love to share.

The king has always loved gardening. If you’ve ever watched The Crown on Netflix, there’s a scene where Camilla mentions that Charles is “obsessed by gardening.”

King Charles has run his home garden at Highgrove since the mid-eighties, and considers himself a farmer—and indeed there are many animals under his care.

His love of gardening started as a child, at a small garden patch at Buckingham Palace where he and his sister would grow vegetables.

This 1986 comment of his drew ridicule, but I love it. He said, “I just come and talk to the plants, really—very important to talk to them, they respond.” Couldn’t agree more.

What are some “First Three” honorable mentions, you ask? Why sure! Shade annual: begonia, full sun annual: basil, and perennial shrub: spirea. All so easy to keep alive and happy! If you need more suggestions, reply to this email and let me know!

xx,

Courtney

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