15 Budget-Friendly Blooms That Will Transform Your Garden Into a Stunning Oasis!
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Turning your garden into a beautiful garden does not have to be expensive. A 2023 National Gardening Association survey found that 67 percent of American gardeners chose money-saving plants when beautifying the outdoor space in their yard. Gardening makes you feel better and has been shown to benefit your overall well-being in a study published in the Journal of Environmental Psychology.
The solution is picking inexpensive, low-maintenance, and prolific bloomers. Plants like marigolds and zinnias are cheap—some for as little as $2 per packet of seeds—but they provide beautiful color in your garden throughout the season. Read on to learn 15 budget-friendly blooms to help you plan a stunning garden without sacrificing quality or variety.
Marigolds
Marigolds are a popular flower beloved for their bold orange, yellow, and red hues that just oomph up a garden. However, they’re also known for their pest-repelling qualities, so if you’re growing vegetables such as tomatoes, these would make great companions.
A single packet of seeds can get you dozens of plants that thrive in sunny spots. Deadheading the flowers will promote continued flowering into the season.
Zinnias
Vibrant, fast-growing, annual flowers, zinnias grow in nearly every color. They can grow up to 36 inches tall and are suitable for attracting pollinators.
The National Gardening Association reports that zinnias germinate within 5—7 days and repeat bloom for up to 10 weeks. To ensure optimal growth and prevent powdery mildew, space the seeds about 4-6 inches apart.
Petunias
Cascading blooms make petunias a popular choice, and they are available in single, double, and ruffled versions. Favored locations are sunny spots, and they bloom profusely from spring to fall, making it one of the cheapest bedding plants.
One of the most popular flower purchases in the U.S., petunias are prized for their hardiness and long bloom period. Divide and repot every two years, and fertilize yearly to keep vigorous flowering.
Nasturtiums
Nasturtiums are edible and bring vibrant red, orange, and yellow flowers to gardens. These flowers are often planted to deter aphids from other plants, are drought-tolerant, and are suitable for water-conscious gardeners.
A single seed packet covers up to 20 square feet of garden space. Soak seeds overnight before planting to speed up the process.
Cosmos
A popular garden flower, Cosmos produces delicate daisy-like flowers in pink, white, and purple colors and are known to grow between 6 feet high. They’re known as self—seeding plants, making them a good, sustainable option for gardens year after year.
It’s best to plant cosmos in poor to average soil; too much fertilizer encourages leaf overbloom.
Sunflowers
One of the most iconic garden additions is a sunflower. There are some varieties that have very small flowers, such as teddy bears, and some towering giants that reach over 10 feet tall. Sunflowers attract bees and birds with great efficiency and support local ecosystems.
Growing sunflowers is an affordable way to make a striking visual impact. Plant the seeds 1 inch deep in well-drained soil and keep them moist until germination.
Pansies
Targeted to getting planted in early spring or fall, pansies are cold, hardy flowers. Bicolored varieties are easily available in different colors, and they withstand frosting, prolonging your garden’s bloom.
Avoid soggy soil and water pansies consistently (but not so much because the roots will rot).
Pot Marigolds
These bright, sunny flowers are beautiful and medicinal, used in skin salves and teas. The blooms appear from spring through fall and are easy to grow, tolerating light frost.
Cut off old blooms so that new ones can form and prolong the flowering season.
Sweet Alyssum
Ground-hugging sweet alyssum is covered in tiny fragrant blooms that attract pollinators. Since it spreads quickly, it is an excellent plant for filling empty spaces in your garden. In addition to its aesthetic role, sweet alyssum is an effective plant for reducing soil erosion.
A dense mat of roots and foliage is formed, stabilizing the soil and preventing displacement through wind or water. Plant in well-drained soil and mix with taller-growing flowers for dynamic layering.
Black-Eyed Susans
They are cheerful, yellow, daisy-like perennials that bloom from midsummer through fall. They are drought-tolerant and deer-resistant and support pollinators like bees and butterflies.
Gardeners love them because they are native to North America and require little tending. Divide mature plants every 3-4 years to propagate and rejuvenate growth.
Dianthus
Dianthus, or pinks, produce small, fragrant pink, white, and red flowers. They grow best in the sun, are drought tolerant, and bloom profusely in spring and fall, sending bursts of color throughout your garden.
A budget option for an edging or container garden would be dianthus. Deadhead regularly to encourage a second flush of flowers.
Impatiens
Impatiens love the shade and will create a mass of blooms that can be red, pink, white, or purple. They do well in moist, well-drained soil, plant them in shady corners of your garden or hanging baskets.
One of the most frequently grown bedding plants in the U.S., impatiens are loved for their ease of maintenance and bright impact. They need water consistently but don’t overwater, as they will get root rot.
Geraniums
These are flowers that can be grown indoors in hanging baskets, pots or outdoors in garden beds. Their flowers are available in all common bloom colors: red, pink, white, and salmon, and they tolerate both full sun and partial shade.
When you overwinter them indoors, they are a long-lasting, cost-effective choice. Leggy stems should be pruned to encourage bushier growth and a continuous bloom cycle.
Snapdragons
Snapdragons produce tall, spiky flowers in a variety of vibrant colors, some are bicolor varieties. Cool-weather blooms make them perfect for the spring and fall garden, and they could grow as high as 3 feet.
Plant them in well-drained soil and mulch to ensure the soil retains moisture and the roots remain cool.
Begonias
Begonias are shade tolerant flowers that do well in a moist environment, flowering in red, orange, pink and white. They can be grown from tubers, are low maintenance, and can stored over winter for use in the next growing season.
Their ability to grow in shaded areas makes them often used in hanging baskets, flowerpots, and garden beds. Do not water overhead to prevent leaf spots; water should be at the base of the plant.
Disclaimer – This list is solely the author’s opinion based on research and publicly available information.
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