Featured pick: Echinacea Purpurea (Purple Coneflower). This hardy native perennial thrives in full sun, is drought-tolerant, and blooms throughout most of the summer.
As a new homeowner, few things enhance your property’s beauty and value like a thoughtfully planned garden. But where do you start if you’ve never grown anything before? At Country Farms Garden Center in Greensburg, PA, we understand that beginning your gardening journey can feel overwhelming. That’s why we’ve curated this guide to the best plants for beginners, along with expert tips to help you create a thriving garden space that you’ll enjoy for years to come.
Why Choose a Garden Center for Your Plant Needs?
Before diving into specific plant recommendations, let’s talk about why shopping at a dedicated garden center makes a difference for beginners.
Local Expertise
Unlike big box stores, local garden centers like Country Farms offer something invaluable: expertise specific to your region. Our staff lives and gardens in the same climate as you do. We understand Greensburg’s zone 6b growing conditions, from our hot summers to cold winters and wet springs. This means we can recommend plants that are genuinely suited to thrive in your yard, saving you time, money, and disappointment.
When you visit our garden center, don’t hesitate to ask questions. Our team can help you understand soil requirements, sunlight needs, and seasonal care—all tailored to your specific property.
Variety of Selection
Garden centers offer a curated selection of plants that have been chosen specifically for local success. At Country Farms, we carry plants that are appropriate for our region and that meet different gardening needs. Whether you’re looking for:
- Low-maintenance options for busy homeowners
- Deer-resistant varieties for rural properties
- Drought-tolerant plants for sunny, exposed areas
- Shade-loving species for woodland settings
We maintain a diverse inventory that changes with the seasons, ensuring you have access to the right plants at the right planting time.
10 Best Beginner-Friendly Plants at Country Farms Garden Center
1. Echinacea (Coneflower)
Why it’s beginner-friendly: Echinacea is incredibly drought-tolerant once established and attracts beneficial pollinators.
Our nursery carries several varieties including Purple Coneflower, which features stunning daisy-like purple blooms with raised centers. These perennials return year after year and require minimal maintenance. Plant in full sun to partial shade and enjoy blooms from June through October.
2. Hosta
Why it’s beginner-friendly: Hostas thrive in shade where many plants struggle and are virtually indestructible.
Perfect for those shady spots in your yard, hostas come in various sizes and leaf patterns. Our inventory includes popular varieties like ‘Fragrant Bouquet’ and ‘Stained Glass.’ These perennials are primarily grown for their attractive foliage, though they do produce flower stalks in summer.
3. Juniperus Blue Point (Juniper)
Why it’s beginner-friendly: This evergreen provides year-round interest and requires almost no maintenance.
Junipers are perfect for beginners who want structure in their landscape without the fuss. Blue Point junipers offer attractive blue-green foliage and a naturally pyramidal shape. They’re drought-tolerant once established and deer-resistant, making them ideal for many Greensburg properties.
4. Fall Mums (Chrysanthemums)
Why it’s beginner-friendly: Instant color that’s perfectly timed for autumn landscapes.
Our fall mums are available in various sizes from 6″ pots to 14″ statement tubs. These seasonal favorites come in a rainbow of colors and provide vibrant autumn interest. While technically perennials, they’re often treated as annuals in our climate for best display.
5. Hydrangea Paniculata ‘Limelight’
Why it’s beginner-friendly: Reliable blooms even if you prune incorrectly, unlike some fussier hydrangea varieties.
Limelight hydrangeas produce large, cone-shaped flower clusters that emerge lime-green in summer and age to pink and burgundy in fall. They’re versatile, working well as specimens or in groupings, and are more tolerant of sun than many other hydrangeas.
6. Geranium ‘Rozanne’ (Cranesbill)
Why it’s beginner-friendly: Long-blooming and adaptable to various conditions.
This hardy geranium (not to be confused with annual bedding geraniums) produces violet-blue flowers from late spring until frost. It forms a neat mound of foliage and can handle partial shade to full sun, making it versatile for different spots in your landscape.
7. Thuja ‘Emerald Green’ (Arborvitae)
Why it’s beginner-friendly: Low-maintenance evergreen that provides privacy and structure.
These columnar evergreens are perfect for creating boundaries or anchoring landscape designs. They maintain their rich green color year-round and need very little care once established. Plant them in full sun to light shade for best results.
8. Rosa ‘Double Knockout’ (Knockout Rose)
Why it’s beginner-friendly: Disease-resistant and continuously blooming without deadheading.
If you’ve avoided roses thinking they’re too difficult, Knockout roses will change your mind. These landscape roses bloom from spring until frost with minimal care and high resistance to common rose problems. Check availability at our garden center—we typically stock red and pink varieties.
9. Hemerocallis (Daylily)
Why it’s beginner-friendly: Adaptable to almost any conditions and virtually indestructible.
Daylilies earn their reputation as the perfect perennial for beginners. They tolerate poor soil, drought, and neglect while still producing abundant blooms. Our garden center carries varieties like ‘Stella d’Oro’ (reblooming yellow) and ‘Born to Run’ (vibrant red), which provide weeks of color.
10. Pansy
Why it’s beginner-friendly: Instant color for cool-season gardens when many plants aren’t blooming.
Pansies are perfect for beginners looking to add immediate color to their landscape. Plant them in fall for cool-season interest and early spring color. They’re ideal for containers, borders, and small spaces where you want big impact.
Landscaping Tips from Our Garden Center
Beyond individual plant selection, success for beginning gardeners often comes down to proper planning and design. Here are some tips to help you create a beautiful, manageable landscape.
Choosing the Right Plants for Your Space and Goals
Before purchasing plants, take time to evaluate your property:
- Observe sun patterns throughout the day to identify full-sun, partial-sun, and shady areas
- Consider your soil type – our garden center staff can help you determine what soil amendments might be needed
- Think about your goals – Do you want privacy, curb appeal, wildlife attraction, or seasonal color?
- Be realistic about maintenance – How much time can you devote to garden care?
Sharing this information with our garden center staff helps us guide you toward appropriate plant choices for your specific situation.
Designing a Beginner-Friendly Garden
Even as a beginner, you can create a professionally designed look by following these principles:
- Start small – It’s better to successfully maintain a small garden than to become overwhelmed by a large one
- Group plants with similar needs – Place plants with similar water and light requirements together
- Consider mature sizes – Allow enough space for plants to reach their full size without crowding
- Include different heights – Use taller plants as backgrounds, mid-height plants for the middle ground, and low-growing plants at edges
- Plan for year-round interest – Include spring bulbs, summer perennials, fall color, and winter structure
Remember that our landscape design services are available if you’d like professional guidance for larger projects.
Conclusion: How Country Farms Garden Center Can Help You Choose the Best Plants
Starting your gardening journey as a new homeowner doesn’t have to be intimidating. At Country Farms Garden Center, we take pride in helping beginners select the right plants and learn how to care for them successfully. Our knowledgeable staff can guide you through:
- Plant selection based on your property’s conditions
- Proper planting techniques
- Seasonal care routines
- Landscape design projects
Visit our garden center to see our current inventory of beginner-friendly plants and chat with our experts about creating your ideal landscape. Whether you’re starting with a few containers on your patio or planning a complete property makeover, we’re here to help you grow with confidence.
Country Farms is located in Greensburg, PA, and offers a complete range of garden center products and landscape services for homeowners of all experience levels. Our inventory changes seasonally to provide the best selection of plants at their optimal planting time.
Ready to start your gardening journey? Stop by our garden center today!
