The 10 Greatest Garden Plants 🌱

Place 10

Daylilies

Elegant and classic, the Daylily (Hemerocallis hybrid) is quite the looker! The large, often multi-colored star or bell flowers make the plant a real beauty. Nevertheless, the daylily is not a diva. On the contrary - low-maintenance and very robust, the garden perennial needs hardly any attention and is even frost-hardy to -20 °C.

Meaning: The Daylily is associated with forgetfulness - more precisely "forgetting worries". So if you're going through it at the moment, these beauties will lift your spirits.

Care: They like well-drained, fertile soil, but will tolerate almost anything. Keep the soil moist, but don't overwater. They'd rather wait a bit to be watered than to live in soggy soil!

Place 9

Funkia

Are you looking for a great plant for a shady spot? Then you should definitely consider the Funkia (Hosta). With its large, often patterned leaves, it's a great foliage ornamental that can enhance any bed. When the first blossoms appear on the perennial in June, the contrast between large leaves and delicate flowers makes the plant look even more elegant.

Meaning: This plant does not stand for anything yet, but you could probably come up with something yourself, as its longevity gives you quite some time to think on it!

Care: Funkia needs rich soil, no matter if you plant it in the ground or in a pot. You could use manure for that. It needs a good mixture of sun and shade and will flower in May to September, so you should definitely plant it in Spring. Don't overwater!

Place 8

Strawberries

It is sweet, delicious and very easy to grow - the strawberry (Fragaria) should not be missing in any garden. The healthy sweet tooth can be easily cultivated even in small gardens or even in pots. In addition, you can grow strawberries vertically. Thanks to numerous strawberry varieties, you can find the right berry for every taste. At the same time, the plant is a real eye-catcher in spring with its white flowers - and attracts bees and other beneficial insects.

Meaning: They stand for purity and sensuality, fertility and abundance. The flavor of its berry speaks for itself in this case. In Victorian times, it represented perfection, and if you're lucky enough to pick a double-strawberry, you will find love soon after!

Care: Plant them in March or April, harvest from June to September. You can start planting them again in October and November if you need to. They prefer a sunny spot, but grant them a bit of shade during the hottest days of the year. When watering them, stick to the soil and roots and weed the beds regularly! To protect the fruits further, you can use barley straw all around the plants, and to keep birds and other animals from eating them, you can put nets or wire mesh over the bed. It isn't as pretty, but it sure does the trick!

Place 7

Crocus

Who can also hardly wait in spring for the first flowers to appear? So that the first splashes of color appear in the border as soon as possible, it is worth planting a few crocuses. Already at the end of February, the first flowers appear in a variety of shades from yellow to purple. Thus, the small flowers are among the first messengers of spring and inspire us every year anew despite their small size.

Meaning: Crocus flowers symbolise rebirth, innocence, joy, and new beginnings. It makes sense, since they are one of the first signs of spring!

Care: These pretty flowers will grow under almost any condition! But you can add bulb food or bone meal to the soil to help out. You can mix different types so you can have blooming crocus throughout the year. Plant them around other foliage to protect them when they're not blooming. Don't trim their leaves until they are completely yellow, as they will nourish the plant. Give them a lot of sunlight, too!

Place 6

Lady's Mantle

Lady's Mantle (Alchemilla mollis) may seem inconspicuous or even boring at first glance, but it often turns out to be an ideal addition to the garden. With its dense leaves and bright yellow flower panicles, the plant has its own unique charm and can be wonderfully incoperated into the flower bed.

Meaning: Generally associated with the Virgin Mary, this plant's curved leaves that resemble a woman's cloak. It signifies comforting love, and is said to allow women to move away from the past and become who they are supposed to be.

Care: Lady's mantle is wonderfully uncomplicated: Neither cold, nor heat, nor poor soil seem to bother the perennial. Instead, the garden plant shows amazing vigor and is thus suitable as a versatile ground cover.

Use: This pretty herb can be made into tea to relieve painful cramps and to improve fertility in general! There are lots of uses for women and their reproductive system. It's worth looking up!

Place 5

Lavender

Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia) is a real all-rounder in the border: its edible flowers make an excellent spice and make lavender a great scented plant. At the same time, the plant serves as a repellent against mosquitoes and other biting insects, while attracting bees and other beneficial insects. And as if that weren't enough, lavender also looks great and finds use as a medicinal plant - a true all-rounder that no garden should be without.

Meaning: Lavender represents purity, devotion, serenity, grace, and calmness. It's healing properties make it a trusted plant in every herbalist's garden.

Care: Plant Lavender in full sun and well-drained soil. They need to be watered deep, but not too frequently - only when the soil is almost dry. Cut off the flowers immediately after bloom. They have many uses, and it helps the plant grow.

Use: just smelling the flowers calms the mind and body. Made into tea, Lavender can treat pain and relax the body after stress. Dry the buds and put them in linen sacks to put in your pillow case for improved sleep, or put small sachets into your drawers to freshen your clothes!

Place 4

Swiss Chard

Decorative and healthy? In fact, Swiss chard (Beta vulgaris) is both: with its white, yellow or even red leaf stalks, the plant is a real eye-catcher in the vegetable patch and could even easily pass as a purely ornamental plant. At the same time, chard tastes incredibly delicious and is even healthy with few calories - but many minerals.

Care: Plant the seeds in a row. They like to grow in full sun with partial shade during the day. The soil should be loose enough to easily drain. Plant them in early to mid-spring and make sure the soil will not freeze anymore. Lengthen the harvest time by sowing new seeds every couple weeks! Harvest when the plant is about 9-12 inches (23-30cm) tall.

Use: This plant makes a great addition to soups, casseroles, stir-fry, and salads! You can eat the leaves raw or cooked.

Place 3

Rose

It is the queen of flowers and must not be missing in any garden - the rose (Rosa) is and remains a timeless classic. But its popularity does not come by chance, after all, the rose is hard to trump in its flowering splendor. In addition, gardeners can choose from a variety of rose varieties: The dog rose (Rosa canina) gives the garden an enchanting ambience, climbing roses are masters of romance and noble roses enchant with their fantastic fragrance. There really is something here for every garden.

Meaning: You must know, roses stand for love and romance. But they can also mean secrecy and confidentiality. Depending on the color of the rose, its meaning can change. Give yellow roses to a friend to show your friendship and joy to them, for example. Or just pick a color that you want for your garden based on preference. No judgement.

Care: Plant them in rich, moist, but well-drained soil. They are deep-rooted plants, so focus the watering on the soil. Watering the flowers and foliage can provoke fungal diseases. They love the sun, so let them have at it! Cut frequently to help them stay healthy and grow - ideally prune the whole bush annually. You can easily make new plants by taking cuttings.

Use: They make beautiful gifts, BUT did you know that roses are filled with vitamins and minerals that can support your immune systems, calm your mind, and have antibacterial properties? Rose Oil and Rose Water can help rejuvenate your skin, and can even help clean a cut on your finger! It's anti-inflammatory properties can help relieve symptoms of PMS in women. There is a lot more to this beautiful flower! Go, look it up!

Place 2

Apple

The apple tree (Malus domestica) is a real classic among fruit trees and definitely worth considering if you have enough space in your garden. With a height of up to ten meters, the apple is not exactly tiny, but it gives us delicious fruit. With over 100,000 different apple varieties, there is a tree to suit everyone. In addition, the apple is a real eye-catcher in spring with its countless blossoms and is one of the most bee-friendly plants of all.

Meaning: As a symbol of beauty, sweetness, and prosperity, the apple is a fruit that has long stood for growth and strength. Planting an apple tree shows hope for the future and promotes good health in those around it.

Care: Plant from January to March, but watch out for severe frost. Once the tree is established, it needs very little care, and you will be able to harvest from August to November. You'd do best to buy a young tree and have that planted in your garden rather than trying to grow it yourself from just the seeds. The position should be sunny, sheltered from strong winds and frost. Avoid poor, shallow soil.

Use: The best thing about the apple tree is to eat the fruit straight from the tree! But you can do so much more! Imagine baking an apple pie with applies from your own garden, for example. Baked apples around Christmas, apple jam that lasts years... so many possibilities!

Place 1

Summer Lilac

Of course, summer includes not only beautiful plants, but also colorful butterflies and busy bees. If you want to attract them to your garden, you can't avoid the summer lilac (Buddleja davidii). Also known as a butterfly bush, the plant exudes a heavenly fragrance that neither humans nor animals can resist. At the same time, the summer lilac with its white, red or purple flowers also looks beautiful and is also considered very robust.

Meaning: One of the earliest bloomers of the year, Lilac symbolizes renewal and spring, but also purity and innocence. Some people give it to graduates because of its additional meaning of confidence! It's beautiful fragrance also makes it a popular symbol of young love.

Care: Choose moist, but well-drained soil in a sunny location and plant in January and February. Prune the plant annually in February. Mulching the plant can help it retain moisture. Make sure to frequently remove dead flowers and foliage.

Use: Did you know you can use lilac as an ingredient? You can make the flowers into jams, syrup, or flavor cordials! Being edible, it is also a beautiful decoration for any cake of other baked goods. It can soothe dry and damaged skin and protects against the sun! Products with Summer Lilac in them have many benefits!

CAUTION: As attractive as Summer Lilac is to butterflies and how pretty the sight of them flocking around it is... it makes them addicted, and they will avoid any other food source. Please be aware of this when planting Summer Lilac.