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Low-maintenance plants for maximum impact
If your garden is looking a little lacklustre after spring, May is the ideal time to add fast-growing flowers that quickly fill beds, borders and containers with colour. With warmer soil and longer days encouraging rapid growth, many easy-to-grow blooms planted now will flower in just a few weeks and continue right through summer.
'There are plenty of flowers you can sow now that will be up and blooming in no time, including cosmos and calendula, which are all quick, easy wins,' says Julian Palphramand, head of plants at British Garden Centres.
'You can also cheat a bit with young bedding plants like marigolds or petunias for immediate impact in pots and borders. Just keep them well watered while they’re settling in and keep on top of deadheading once they start flowering, as it keeps them going for longer.'
Below, discover 9 beautiful fast-growing flowers that require minimal effort but deliver maximum impact.
Cosmos are easy to grow and provide quick colour, making them a great addition to any garden.
'You can grow them from seed, they germinate quickly and they don’t need much fuss or special care,' says Chris Bonnett, plant expert and founder of online garden centre Gardening Express.
'Even better, bees, butterflies and other pollinators love them, so they’re a great choice if you’re looking to support local wildlife and make your garden more nature-friendly.'
Calendula, also known as pot marigold, is an easy-to-grow hardy annual that will add colour to your borders in no time.
'Calendula is a favourite of mine,' says Mirela Bajic, senior garden designer at House Designer. 'They have a bright, cheerful colour and it just gets on with growing without much intervention.'
Looking for no-fuss groundcover? 'Trailing varieties of lobelia are fast growing and quick to establish from plug plants,' Chris tells us. 'They create a full, cascading effect quickly, so they are particularly good for filling in gaps in hanging baskets and containers.'
Lobelias can be grown both as perennials and annuals, but the latter are the fastest to spread in the summer, the expert adds.
This leafy plant bears orange and yellow flowers and is a real garden hero. 'Nasturtiums are brilliant because they're not fussy about soil quality and will flower quickly while either trailing or climbing, depending on which variety you choose,' Mirela says.
But that's not all. Nasturtiums are also edible and they can be planted next to vegetables to act as sacrificial plants for slugs and caterpillars.
'Pansies are super fast-growing and vigorous annual plants,' says Chris. 'They establish quickly and bloom continuously – often needing a light pruning to keep them in check.'
They thrive in a sunny spot with fertile soil and regular watering and feeding. Deadheading will keep your pansies fresh and encourage more growth throughout the summer.
Petunias are another ideal choice for quick colour. 'Many popular petunia varieties are fast-growing, particularly the "spreading" or "trailing" types,' explains Chris. 'These types act as groundcover, spreading many feet and covering large areas within a single growing season.'
Without regular maintenance, petunias have a habit of becoming leggy and crowding out other bedding plants, so it's worth trimming them back every once in a while.
This pretty plant comes in different shades of purple, pink and red and adds vibrant colour and height to your plot. 'Verbena is a very fast-growing plant with many varieties reaching their full size and flowering within a matter of weeks,' says Chris.
'It’s also quite low maintenance and thrives in full sun and well drained soil, making them excellent for quick colour in borders, containers and hanging baskets.'
Geraniums, a genus that includes 422 varieties, are popular bedding plants that are delightfully easy to grow.
'Often affectionately referred to as geraniums, pelargoniums are a beloved choice for adding a burst of colour during the summer months,' Ross, who is the resident horticultural expert for Pelargonium for Europe UK, tells us.
'Their versatility is unmatched; they thrive in various settings, whether in pots on a balcony or in hanging baskets... Many varieties even boast aromatic leaves, which add an extra sensory element.'
Sun-loving zinnias, with their vibrant, wide-open flowerheads, aren't just a sight to behold in beds and borders but also a boon to bees and butterflies.
'May is perfect timing if you want quick impact in the garden,' says Mirela. 'Zinnias are my go-to choices for this. They're reliable performers that grow quickly from seed and don't need fussy care, which makes them ideal when you want results fast.'
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