Easy Spring Flowers for People Without Green Thumbs

The weather is warming up and your yard is calling for some beautiful new flowers to brighten up your curb appeal. But if you don't have a green thumb, you may be a little hesitant to start planting. After all, watching plants you've invested your time and money in wither hurts!

Don't worry. There are plenty of pretty spring flowers you can plant right now that aren't so persnickety and will thrive with very little attention from you. These perennials are perfect for people without green thumbs who want to play in the dirt without getting their hearts broken.

Low-Maintenance Spring-Blooming Flowers

Want your hard work in the garden to last? Plant perennials. Perennials come back year after year, and the ones I've listed below require very little maintenance. With proper planting, a little water and some sunshine, these hardy perennials will give you a yearly burst of color that brings joy to your yard.

Daffodils: When you see daffodils' cheery yellow flowers popping up in yards and along roadways, you know spring has sprung. Daffodils are hardy in most areas of the United States, so no matter where you live, you can enjoy them. They prefer full sun, though they will tolerate partial sun, and they multiply on their own once established.

Daylilies: Love statement color? Then you'll love daylilies. With varieties offering every possible color of the rainbow, daylilies produce large, bright flowers on long stalks — some can reach 6 feet in length. Daylilies are incredibly low maintenance and adapt well to poor soil, uneven sunlight and even drought. Once you plant daylilies, they spread on their own.

Lily of the Valley: Sweetly scented Lily of the Valley produces adorable bell-shaped flowers that droop from a common stem. Lily of the Valley prefers partial shade but will still thrive in full shade, making it a fragrant choice for gardeners with lots of trees. If you have young kids or pets, Lily of the Valley may not be the right choice for your garden as it is poisonous.

Jewelweed: Though technically an annual, jewelweed self-sows and comes back every year. Producing delicate fire-colored blooms, jewelweed will tolerate soggy soils in dark places, and it attracts hummingbirds, butterflies and bees.

Garden Phlox: This sun-loving perennial will provide you with gorgeous flowering clusters all summer long. Growing to 3-4 feet tall, this flower is native to the U.S. and prefers drier climates because of its propensity to develop powdery mildew.

Tips for Planting Spring-Blooming Perennials

These easy perennials are perfect for beginning gardeners because they come back every year on their own. If you buy dormant bulbs and plant them two to three weeks before spring hits in your area, you should be able to get blooms that year. If you miss that deadline, it's best to wait until fall to plant your bulbs, as the heat of spring and summer can damage delicate bulbs.

Plant your perennial bulbs no more than two inches deep, as any deeper can prevent them from sprouting when the weather warms up. Use a good soil compound that has fertilizer already mixed in. These plants are basically wildflowers, so direct fertilization of the young plants can be too much for their delicate systems.

Water your bulbs a couple of times in the first week of planting. After that, rain should suffice unless you're in the midst of a drought.

Deadhead for Long-Lasting Beauty

A good tip for extending your flowers' blooming season is to pull off the dead blooms as soon as they start to wilt. This is called "deadheading." Deadheading prevents the plant from wasting valuable energy on blooms that are past their prime, conserving energy that is directed toward producing more brilliant flowers as the season progresses.

You Don't Need a Green Thumb With Plants This Easy

Don't let your lack of garden knowledge or experience keep you from playing in the dirt this spring. With these east perennials, you can be the envy of your neighbors year after year. No green thumb required.