Top 10 Foolproof Plants

Even if your thumb is as brown as can be, you can still have a pretty landscape with these easy-to-grow plant picks.

Photo: RDA GID

Bugleweed

This fast-spreading, evergreen perennial makes an excellent groundcover with its masses of green, bronze or variegated foliage. Spires of blue flowers appear in late spring to early summer. Bugleweed may invade lawns, making it more suitable for areas surrounded by stones or other barriers.

• Common Names: Bugleweed.
• Botanical Name: Ajuga reptans.
• Hardiness: Zones 3 to 9.
• Bloom Time: Late spring to early summer.
• Size: 4 to 8 inches high, 8 inches wide.
• Flowers: Purplish blue.
• Light Needs: Full to partial shade.
• Growing Advice: Plant closely so it forms a dense, weed-suppressing mat.
• Prize Picks: Rainbow's (also sold as Tricolor) multicolored foliage transcends the familiar dark green with its pink and cream accents.

Photo: RDA GID

California Poppy

Sweeping across the arid foothills and valleys west of the Sierra Nevada, a sea of golden-orange California poppies light up the scenic landscape each spring.

The tall nodding blooms are ideal in rock and cottage gardens, rather than in formal flowerbeds. No matter where you plant them, be ready to remove some of the spent flowers to limit reseeding so the plants don't take over.

• Common Names: California poppy.
• Botanical Name: Eschscholzia californica.
• Hardiness: Perennial in its native habitat, or grow as an annual in all zones.
• Bloom Time: Summer.
• Size: 8 to 15 inches high, 9 to 15 inches wide.
• Flowers: Orange, red, yellow, pink, cream, and white four-petal, cuplike blossoms that measure 1 to 2 inches across.
• Light Needs: Full sun.
• Growing Advice: Sow seeds directly on soil in fall or winter in mild climates; sow in spring in cold climates.
• Prize Picks: For full, semi-double or double blooms with frilled and fluted petals, plant Mission Bells or Ballerina. The Thai Silk line is compact and 8 to 10 inches tall and has fluted bronze-tinged flowers ranging from yellow to orange, red, pink, rose, cream and white.

Photo: RDA GID

Cosmos

This beautiful annual will attract birds and butterflies to your garden with its colorful, pinwheel-shaped blooms. Its feathery foliage also is attractive and creates an airy appearance. Cosmos thrives in a variety of conditions, making it a garden must-have.

• Common Names: Cosmos.
• Botanical Name: Cosmos bipinnatus.
• Hardiness: Annual.
• Bloom Time: Summer to late fall.
• Size: 1 to 6 feet high, 1 to 2 feet wide.
• Flowers: Single or double daisy-shaped blooms in pink, white, red, purple, yellow-orange, and orange-red.
• Light needs: Full sun.
• Growing Advice: Sow seeds indoors 4 weeks before the last spring frost or plant directly in the garden in late spring. Place tall varieties of cosmos near a fence or provide stakes to help the plants stand up to the heavy wind and rain of summer thunderstorms.
• Prize Picks: The semi-double orange blossoms of Diablo and the yellow, orange and red blooms of Bright Lights are two good selections. Sea Shells has fluted white, pink, and crimson flowers. If you want shorter, more compact plants, try the Sonata Series.

Photo: Park Seed, www.parkseed.com

Daylily

This garden favorite is cherished for its beauty, reliability, and variety. With more than 50,000 named cultivars, gardeners have almost limitless choices. Blossoms last just a day, but many hybrids flower repeatedly all summer long.

• Common Names: Daylily.
• Botanical Name: Hemerocallis.
• Hardiness: Zones 3 to 10.
• Bloom Time: Early summer until first frost.
• Size: 10 inches to 4 feet high, 1-1/2 to 4 feet wide.
• Flowers: Every shade except blue and pure white.
• Light Needs: Full sun to partial shade.
• Growing Advice: Set out plants in spring or fall, with crown no more than 1 inch below the soil's surface. Divide every 3 to 5 years to revitalize prevent crowding.
• Prize Picks: Award-winning, golden-flowered Stella d'Oro is a remarkably tough, long-blooming, and pretty choice. "Chicago Apache' is a stunning scarlet.

Photo: Park Seed, www.parkseed.com

Hosta

This hardy garden favorite is prized for adding texture and color to shady areas. Hostas form dense leafy clumps, with blossoms rising up to 3 feet above the foliage.

Thousands of named cultivars offer a wide array of leaf colors, shapes, and textures. While some hostas tolerate sun, those grown in partial shade generally produced the most handsome, longest-lasting foliage.

Hostas are virtually carefree plants. Their heavy foliage helps reduce weed growth and retain soil moisture, but hostas may need extra water during extremely hot weather to prevent scorching.

• Common Names: Hosta and plantain lily.
• Botanical Name: Hosta.
• Hardiness: Zones 3 to 8.
• Bloom Time: Late spring to mid-fall.
• Size: 4 inches to 3 feet high, 8 inches to 5 feet wide.
• Flowers: Tall purple, white, or lavender funnel-shaped blooms top tall stalks.
• Light needs: Full sun to partial shade.
• Growing Advice: Can be planted whenever the ground is not frozen. Plant among spring bulbs. Unfurlig hosta leaves will mask the fading show. Divide in early spring or late summer.
• Prize Picks: Royal Standard tolerates sun or shade. Patriot is variegated and good in partial shade. Guacamole has fragrant flowers and two-toned leaves.

Photo: Park Seed, www.parkseed.com

Impatiens

Reliable impatiens are shade-garden favorites throughout North America, quickly growing to fill in bare areas with undulating mounds of color. These useful landscape plants work equally well in borders, foundation beds and containers.

Once planted, impatiens need very little care. They bloom from spring to first frost, and unlike some other annuals, they require no deadheading to keep the flowers coming.

• Common Names: Impatiens and busy Lizzie.
• Botanical Name: Impatiens.
• Hardiness: Annual in most zones.
• Bloom Time: Summer to first frost.
• Size: 6 inches to 2 feet high.
• Flowers: Pink, red, orange, yellow, purple, lavender-blue and white. Flowers may be solid-colored, striped or bicolor.
• Light needs: Partial to full shade.
• Growing Advice: Start seeds indoors 12 weeks before last frost. Set out transplants or bedding plants after danger of frost has passed, since impatiens are highly sensitive to cold.
• Prize Picks: Tried-and-true Impatiens walleriana has a short, shrubby growth habit and flat flowers. New Guinea hybrids sport the largest, showiest flowers. They often are sold as "sun impatiens," but perform best in partial shade. For window boxes or hanging baskets, try one of the new trailing types, like Fanfare or Spellbound Pink.

Photo: Park Seed, www.parkseed.com

Morning glory

As its name suggests, the morning glory is most glorious during the early hours after its trumpet-shaped flowers open to greet the new day. But its beauty is fleeting; the blossoms last only one day, withering by mid-afternoon.

These easy-to-grow annuals are probably the most popular flowering vine in North America. They climb just about anything - fences, trellises, arbors, mailboxes, lampposts. This makes it the perfect plant to quickly hide unsightly views.

• Common Name: Morning glory.
• Botanical Name: Ipomoea pupurea.
• Hardiness: Grow as an annual in all zones.
• Bloom Time: Summer to first frost.
• Size: Climbs 15 to 20 feet.
• Flowers: Purple, blue, red, pink, and white trumpet-shaped blooms; bicolors are also available.
• Light needs: Full sun.
• Growing Advice: Start from seeds indoors or in the garden. Nick the hard seed or soak it in warm water for 24 hours before planting.
• Prize Picks: Ipomoea alba, also known as the moonflower, is an evening version of the morning glory, with fragrant white flowers that open at dusk.

Photo: Park Seed, www.parkseed.com

Nasturtium

This cheerful garden annual thrives on neglect. Once nasturtiums are established, they perform best when left alone, and provide vibrant color from spring through frost.

Since they flourish in poor soil, over-watering or adding fertilizer can actually diminish their beauty. They are so resilient they can withstand severe pruning - some gardeners cut back the large veined leaves for a better view of the sweet-scented blooms.

There are many varieties to choose from, with some growing in compact mounds, and others climbing to 10 feet with the support of a trellis or fence.

• Common Name: Nasturtium, Indian cress.
• Botanical Name: Tropaeolum majus.
• Hardiness: Annual in all zones.
• Bloom Time: Early summer until frost.
• Size: Climbing varieties reach 10 feet, dwarf varieties form mounds that are up to 15 inches tall; 12 to 24 inches wide.
• Flowers: Bright yellow, red, cream, apricot, and salmon.
• Light needs: Full sun.
• Growing Advice: Sow directly in most garden after last frost. Plant 3/4-inch deep and 8 to 12 inches apart. Thin plants as they become crowded.
• Prize Picks: The Alaska series has variegated leaves with creamy speckles. Whirlybird's flowers appear above its leaves and provide a brilliant display.

Photo: RDA GID

Pansy

It's hard not to smile when there's a patch of pansies in your backyard. These colorful flowers are best known for the "whiskered faces" that mark many of the blooms. The pattern makes it appear as if the flowers are grinning.

Pansies are part of the large flower family that includes violets and Johnny-jump-ups. They emerged in the early 1800s as the result of crossbreeding four different viola varieties to create the trademark face.

The plants produce a wide variety of brightly colored flowers surrounded by bushy leaves. Most are annuals, although some are biennials or short-lived perennials.

• Common Name: Pansy.
• Botanical Name: Viola x wittrockiana.
• Hardiness: Zones 4 to 8.
• Bloom Time: Varies by cultivar. Most types perform best in the cooler weather of spring or autumn. In warmer climates, some varieties can be used as winter annuals.
• Size: 6 to 9 inches high and 9 to 12 inches wide.
• Flowers: Purple, white, yellow, orange, and red. Bicolored flowers with a face-like pattern are the most common; shape is five overlapping petals, some with ruffled edges.
• Light needs: Full sun to partial shade.
• Growing Advice: Plant transplants in early spring. To grow from seed, plant indoors in January or February in northern climates. In warmer areas, plant in late summer for blooms the following spring.
• Prize Picks: Imperial, Maxim, Springtime, and Universal are heat-tolerant choices, while Icicle and Second Season.

Photo: Park Seed, www.parkseed.com

Sunflower

With their bright faces, there's something about sunflowers that make us feel good. And when it comes to kids, there are few plants that draw more "oohs" and "aahs" than these towering blooms!

Sunflower seeds are used for many things, but the most obvious, of course, is bird food! In fact, it's the seed of choice for many backyard songbirds.

The centers are made up of clusters of tiny, tubular, nectar-producing flowers that attract butterflies and hummingbirds.

• Common Names: Sunflower.
• Botanical Name: Helianthus annuus.
• Hardiness: Annual.
• Bloom Time: Summer to early autumn.
• Size: 2 to 15 feet high, 18 to 24 inches wide.
• Flowers: Mainly yellow. Some varieties may be red or brown; large, daisy-like ray of bright florets with a dark center.
• Light needs: Full sun.
• Growing Advice: Sow seeds 6 inches apart in spring. Thin to the strongest growers so the plants are 18 to 24 inches apart.
• Prize Picks: For a flower of epic proportions, grow a Russian Giant, whose flower stretches 10 or more inches across and averages about 11 feet tall. Autumn Beauty defies the sunflower's gold standard with a mix of orange and red flowerheads.