Master Gardener's Complete Guide
Annuals, perennials, bulbs, wildflower meadows, and pollinator garden design for every climate zone.
Difficulty: beginner | Sun: Full sun | Water: Low to moderate
Height: 6-36 inches | Bloom Time: Summer to frost
Colors: Orange, Yellow, Red, Bicolor
Attracts pollinators. Deer resistant. Natural pest deterrent — repel aphids, whiteflies, and nematodes. Plant near vegetables. French marigolds are compact; African marigolds are tall. Deadhead for continuous blooms. Easy from seed.
Difficulty: beginner | Sun: Full sun | Water: Moderate
Height: 2-12 feet | Bloom Time: Summer to fall
Colors: Yellow, Orange, Red, Burgundy, Bicolor
Attracts pollinators. Heliotropic (young plants track the sun). Giant varieties can reach 12+ feet. Seeds are edible and loved by birds. Multi-branching varieties produce many smaller flowers for cutting. Direct sow after last frost. Allelopathic — can inhibit some plants nearby.
Difficulty: beginner | Sun: Full sun | Water: Moderate, water at base
Height: 12-48 inches | Bloom Time: Summer to frost
Colors: Pink, Red, Orange, Yellow, White, Purple, Green, Bicolor
Attracts pollinators. Deer resistant. Best cut flower for beginners — the more you cut, the more they bloom. Prone to powdery mildew; space well and water at base. Direct sow after frost (they hate transplanting). Benary Giant is top cut flower variety.
Difficulty: beginner | Sun: Full sun | Water: Low — drought tolerant
Height: 24-72 inches | Bloom Time: Summer to frost
Colors: Pink, White, Red, Orange, Yellow, Chocolate
Attracts pollinators. Deer resistant. Thrives in poor soil (rich soil = more leaves, fewer flowers). Self-seeds. Chocolate cosmos (C. atrosanguineus) smells like chocolate. Great pollinator attractor. Deadhead or let self-seed.
Difficulty: beginner | Sun: Full sun | Water: Regular
Height: 6-18 inches | Bloom Time: Spring to frost
Colors: Purple, Pink, Red, White, Yellow, Bicolor, Black
Attracts pollinators. Top container and hanging basket flower. Wave petunias are spreading; grandiflora have large blooms. Deadhead spent blooms. Cut back mid-summer if leggy. Supertunias are self-cleaning (no deadheading needed).
Difficulty: intermediate | Sun: Full sun (6+ hrs) | Water: Regular, deep watering
Height: 1-20 feet | Bloom Time: Spring to fall
Colors: Red, Pink, White, Yellow, Orange, Lavender, Bicolor
Attracts pollinators. Knockout roses are disease-resistant and low maintenance. Hybrid teas need more care. Prune in early spring. Watch for black spot, powdery mildew, Japanese beetles. Plant in morning sun to dry dew quickly. Feed monthly during bloom season.
Difficulty: intermediate | Sun: Full sun | Water: Very low — drought tolerant
Height: 12-36 inches | Bloom Time: Late spring to summer
Colors: Purple, Blue, Pink, White
Attracts pollinators. Deer resistant. Needs excellent drainage. English lavender hardiest (zones 5-8). Don't mulch around crown. Prune in spring, never into old wood. Harvest when half flowers open. Dried lavender keeps fragrance for years.
Difficulty: beginner | Sun: Full sun to partial shade | Water: Low to moderate
Height: 24-36 inches | Bloom Time: Summer to fall
Colors: Yellow, Gold, Orange
Attracts pollinators. Deer resistant. Native wildflower. Extremely tough and drought-tolerant once established. Blooms late summer when many others fade. Seed heads provide winter bird food. Divide every 3-4 years. Self-seeds moderately.
Difficulty: beginner | Sun: Full sun | Water: Low — drought tolerant
Height: 24-48 inches | Bloom Time: Summer to fall
Colors: Purple, Pink, White, Yellow, Orange, Red
Attracts pollinators. Deer resistant. Native prairie flower. Medicinal (immune support). Leave seed heads for birds and winter interest. Very low maintenance. Attracts butterflies. Don't fertilize (prefers lean soil). Long-lived perennial.
Difficulty: beginner | Sun: Full sun to partial shade | Water: Moderate
Height: 12-48 inches | Bloom Time: Summer
Colors: Yellow, Orange, Red, Pink, Purple, White, Bicolor
Attracts pollinators. Each flower lasts one day (hence the name), but plants produce many buds. Virtually indestructible. Reblooming varieties bloom multiple times. Stella de Oro is the classic yellow rebloomer. Divide every 3-5 years. Deer love them.
Difficulty: intermediate | Sun: Partial shade to full sun | Water: Regular — moisture-loving
Height: 3-15 feet | Bloom Time: Summer to fall
Colors: Blue, Pink, Purple, White, Green
Attracts pollinators. Deer resistant. Blue in acidic soil, pink in alkaline (bigleaf type only). Mophead vs lacecap vs panicle vs oakleaf varieties. Some bloom on old wood (don't prune in fall!), others on new wood. Endless Summer series reblooms. Dried flowers last for months.
Difficulty: intermediate | Sun: Full sun (6-8+ hrs) | Water: Regular, increase at bloom time
Height: 12-72 inches | Bloom Time: Mid-summer to frost
Colors: Every color except blue
Attracts pollinators. Plant tubers after last frost, 4-6 inches deep. Pinch for bushier plants. Stake tall varieties. Lift tubers after first frost in cold climates (zones 3-7). Dinner plate varieties can be 10+ inches across. Outstanding cut flower.
Difficulty: beginner | Sun: Full sun to partial shade | Water: Moderate during growth
Height: 6-28 inches | Bloom Time: Spring
Colors: Red, Pink, Yellow, White, Purple, Orange, Bicolor, Black
Attracts pollinators. Plant bulbs in fall, 6-8 inches deep, pointy end up. Need 12-16 weeks cold period. Many gardeners treat as annuals (bloom weakens each year). Species tulips are more perennial. Squirrels and deer eat them — plant with daffodils (toxic to pests).
Difficulty: beginner | Sun: Full sun to partial shade | Water: Moderate during growth
Height: 6-20 inches | Bloom Time: Early to mid spring
Colors: Yellow, White, Orange, Pink, Bicolor
Attracts pollinators. Deer resistant. Plant bulbs in fall, 6 inches deep. Toxic to deer, rabbits, and squirrels (plant around vulnerable bulbs). Naturalize beautifully — multiply each year. Don't cut foliage until it yellows (feeds next year's bulb). Extremely reliable.
Difficulty: beginner | Sun: Full sun | Water: Regular
Height: 24-60 inches | Bloom Time: Summer
Colors: Red, Pink, Yellow, White, Purple, Orange, Green
Attracts pollinators. Plant corms 4 inches deep after last frost. Stagger planting every 2 weeks for continuous blooms. Stake tall varieties. Dig corms after first frost in cold climates. Excellent cut flower — cut when bottom 2-3 florets open.
Difficulty: beginner | Sun: Partial to full shade | Water: Regular — keep moist
Height: 6-24 inches | Bloom Time: Spring to frost
Colors: Pink, Red, White, Orange, Purple, Bicolor
Attracts pollinators. Deer resistant. Top shade annual. New Guinea impatiens tolerate more sun. Watch for downy mildew in traditional impatiens. SunPatiens are sun-tolerant and disease-resistant. Self-cleaning — no deadheading needed. Great for containers.
Difficulty: beginner | Sun: Full sun to partial shade | Water: Regular
Height: 6-48 inches | Bloom Time: Spring to fall
Colors: Red, Pink, Yellow, White, Orange, Purple, Bicolor
Attracts pollinators. Deer resistant. Cool-season flower that thrives in spring and fall, may stall in summer heat. Pinch tips for bushy growth. Excellent cut flower. Kids love squeezing the "dragon mouths." Self-seeds. Rocket series for tall cuts.
Difficulty: beginner | Sun: Full sun to partial shade | Water: Regular
Height: 4-10 inches | Bloom Time: Spring and fall (cool season)
Colors: Purple, Yellow, Blue, White, Orange, Red, Bicolor
Attracts pollinators. Deer resistant. Cool-season champions — can survive light frost and snow. Plant in early spring or fall. Edible flowers. Violas are smaller but tougher. Great for containers, borders, and window boxes. Deadhead for more blooms.
Difficulty: beginner | Sun: Full sun to partial shade | Water: Low to moderate
Height: 12-72 inches (trailing) | Bloom Time: Summer to frost
Colors: Orange, Yellow, Red, Cream, Bicolor
Attracts pollinators. Deer resistant. Entirely edible — peppery flowers, leaves, and seed pods (poor man's capers). Trap crop for aphids (plant near vegetables to lure pests away). Thrives in poor soil. Trailing varieties great for hanging baskets. Direct sow after frost.
Difficulty: beginner | Sun: Full sun to partial shade | Water: Regular
Height: 24-48 inches | Bloom Time: Summer
Colors: Red, Pink, Purple, White
Attracts pollinators. Deer resistant. Top hummingbird flower. Native. Aromatic leaves make tea (Oswego tea). Prone to powdery mildew — choose resistant varieties (Jacob Cline). Spreads by runners; divide every 3 years. Deadhead for extended bloom.