Flower gardens are everyone's favorite garden because of the color and the beauty they bring to the landscape. Here is a brief tool-kit of easy-to-grow flower terms for the beginner gardener.

 
An annual is a plant that completes its entire life cycle in a single growing season. Flowers that are annuals are: baby blue eyes, calendula, dianthus, nasturtium, pansies and sweet peas.

 
A Biennial is a plant that usually takes two growing seasons to complete the life cycle. Examples of biennial flowers are: foxglove and sweet William.

 
Perennials are flowers that can last for three or more years. Bee balm, columbine, delphinium, forget-me-not, geranium, Jacob’s ladder, meconopsis poppy, Oriental poppy and the primrose are all good examples of Perennials.

 
Plants that grow from bulbs (short, underground stems that contain food for the shoot) are called bulb flowers and include: crocus, daffodils, hyacinth, snowdrop bulb plants, and tulips.

 
There are easy-to-grow flowers that are not just pretty, they can be used for medicinal purposes or to provide food or can be used as a habitat for insects.

 
Annuals grow from seed and produce seed all in one growing season. Annuals usually bloom longer than perennials. Annuals generally need at least 6 hours of sunlight each day. The calendula is a good example of a annual that when the flower is made into an ointment it is great for preventing radiation burns for cancer patients and cooks use the petals in egg or rice dishes. Chicken farms feed them to chickens to make the yolks of their eggs darker.

 
Perennials although hardy die in the winter but emerge again in the spring. In northern climates they will pop out of the soil as soon as it starts to get warmer. Many perennials are eatable including the day lily, and garlic chives. The echinacea is known for it immune system-enhancing medicinal quality.

 
Now that you know a little bit more about the easy to grow flowers, get out there and start making your part of the world beautiful and functional.