Three stunning flowering plants perfect for beginner gardeners

There's nothing like looking out onto your balcony or backyard and seeing colourful flowers bloom from a plant you've grown.

For beginner gardeners that joy can sometimes be short-lived if the plants are particularly challenging species to care for.

I've been gardening for a few years now and learnt a lot along the way, especially by making mistakes.

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Had I known what I know now I probably would have chosen some of my earlier plant purchases differently.

So I'm passing on that knowledge to you now with my top three flowering plants perfect for beginner gardeners.

These are flowers known to grow so easily that they will hopefully give you confidence to keep gardening.

Geraniums

Geraniums, pelargoniums and hybrids of the two are, in my experience, among the easiest plants to grow.

There are many varieties of this plant with one of the most popular being an ivy-like variety. This type produces trailing leaves and small flowers that look stunning in hanging and window planters.

They do need deadheading frequently though to keep them looking their best, but even when I've let mine go for a while they still seem to pump out leaves and flowers.

And even when a geranium stem has started to rot I've found cutting it back to the healthy part of the stem revives it quickly.

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There are plenty of colours and sizes available to suit whatever look you're aiming for in your garden.

They are also perennials, which means they come back every year and don't die after one season.

Just keep them away from possums or use a possum deterrent. I've found these pesky creatures love eating them so much they'll even dig out the root ball in the search for more leaves to eat.

Impatiens

I used to think impatiens were a boring, plain flower until I spotted a light pink double bloom variety so gorgeous I had to try it.

Two years on this plant is still thriving in my backyard and looks its best after it rains, even if the wet weather lasts for days and days.

Impatiens are fantastic plants for shady areas, though there are varieties that can grow in full sun.

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For those of us who can't plant directly in the ground, impatiens grow well in pots and thrive with some deadheading and fertiliser.

Like geraniums, impatiens are a perennial plant that grows year round so you won't have to keep replacing them like you do with annual flowering plants.

I also find that mine flowers for most of the year, though whether varieties you plant do depends on multiple factors including the planting zone you live in.

Another plus for the beginner gardener is that they are usually among the cheapest flowering plants at the garden centre.

Chrysanthemums

These plants bloom at their best in Australia in autumn and with 'mum' in their name, these two factors have made them the 'Mother's Day plant'.

They make a huge impact with their colourful flowers, which range in size from small, compact petals to large, fluffy blooms.

With regular deadheading you can keep these plants pumping out flowers during summer and autumn.

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They're perennials too, so they will come back again the following year, though I would recommend repotting them if they're in a container to ensure you get maximum blooms.

I've had mixed success with chrysanthemums but the mistakes I've made are obvious and easily fixed. They include not repotting between seasons, leaving them in a harsh sunny spot over summer and letting them dry out and overcompensating by watering too much afterwards.

On the plus side, I have managed to save a couple of chrysanthemums from certain death by cutting them right back and giving them time for fresh green growth to return.

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