Easy flowers I'm growing this year

8 flowers I'm sowing this spring, and where I shop for seeds.

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It’s been over 3 years since we moved to this little piece of land, and I’m still relearning how to grow things.

The biggest challenge is the critters.

When we moved, I brought over several of my beloved English roses in pots, and though they somehow survived the ride in a back of our pickup, they did not survive the first night in their new home. The deer found them immediately and feasted. That was day one.

Eventually, we established a potager, built a 7 foot deer fence, buried rabbit fencing beneath it, and I learned not to plant anything tasty (which is most plants) outside of it.

Still, the occasional rabbit sneaks in, and the birds dig up sprouts and eat all my blueberries. Deer sometimes destroy my supposed deer-resistant plants.

I buried hardware cloth beneath the raised beds, so the gophers dig next to them instead.

You may be familiar with the old Yiddish saying, “Der mensch tracht, un Gott lacht,” meaning “man plans, and God laughs.” In this case, it would be just as accurate to say, “woman plans, animals laugh.”

At this point, I just roll my eyes and try again.

In the spirit of keeping things easy this year, I’m planting some tried-and-true flowers that are easy to grow, easy to maintain, and (supposedly) unappealing to deer and rabbits.

Let’s take a look.

What I’m growing

Marigolds are easy to grow, and come in more varieties than you might realize. While I love the festive bright orange ones too, this variety called Kilimanjaro White is spectacular. I also like Sugar and Spice.

Deer and rabbits don’t like marigolds because of their pungent scent (prey animals tend to dislike anything that might make them smell) and bitter taste.

I grow cosmos every year. They’re easy and prolific, and I’m particularly partial to the white cupcake variety, which look like delicate crepe paper. Last year, I grew some in blush as well. They’re a gorgeous filler for bouquets too.

There’s a home not far from us that always has thousands of colorful zinnias in summer. I’m partial to the pastel varieties myself, like this one called Ballerina.

Scabiosa is tried and true for me, and I love their long, thin stems. It’s always nice to have some flowers that float above the others in a bouquet. I’ve grown this pincushion mix, black knight, and fata morgana.

Nasturtiums are a must for me. These are grown within the fenced area, away from pests. I’ve sown dark varieties and pastels, but since the bright ones look best when tossed into salads, I go with an alaska mix now. I may add cherry rose jewel this year.

I used to have problems with aphids on my nasturtiums, but I’ve found that planting them alongside tomatoes seems to fix that problem.

Snapdragons are tall, prolific, and seem to be ignored by all creatures. I love the appleblossom variety. The butterfly bronze is gorgeous too, but you really can’t go wrong. There are so many colors to choose from.

I have a strong sense memory of buying little bouquets of sweet peas at the farmer’s market when I was working one of my first jobs out of college. I’d place them on my desk and huff their divine fragrance all day long, wishing I was outside.

My only problem growing them is that the birds steal the seeds and sprouts, so I need to protect them pretty well. These are in the fenced garden, since they are poisonous to dogs (and everyone else).

I’m growing the mammoth mix this year, because it’s supposed to be heat resistant and our summers are quite hot and dry. High scent is also fragrant and looks elegant.

Yarrow makes a great filler, and it’s more or less perennial where I live! I already have some here and there, but I’m going to add a bit more of love parade. Deer and rabbits seem to leave it alone.

Where I buy seeds

These are my favorite places to buy seeds right now:

• Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds

• Johnny’s Selected Seeds for their good variety (and I like that it’s employee owned), although they can be a bit more pricey.

• Swallowtail Garden Seeds always has a good selection of cottage garden flowers.

• Select Seeds is one I ordered from last year, and their selection is outstanding! They have many seeds I haven’t been able to find elsewhere.

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