Regardless of what space or budget you have, there’s a way to liven it up with some plants! Not just that, but there are flowering plant varieties with gorgeous and colorful blooms that still grow and flower out of full sun.
Here in this article, we’ve outlined 5 different flowering plants that are great contenders for low-light gardens. They’re all different sizes, bloom shapes and colors, so hopefully you’ll see something that speaks to you! On top of that, they’re all easy to grow from seed, which is the best way to go about growing out a healthy flower garden <3
Just a disclaimer, these varieties still need light! So if you have that dark corner by a wall that never gets any rays of light, consider planting a foliage plant that prefers full shade because it’ll probably be too dark for these flowering varieties.
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Calendula
Calendula is amazing! It’s very versatile: you can grow it indoors, in your patio or balcony garden, or in a flower bed. To get more flowers and create that nice bushy shape to the plant, trim the vertical growth as it develops so that the plant branches out more!
Calendula also happens to have great anti-inflammatory and other medicinal purposes.
To harvest: Pick the flowers when they’re just start to bloom, you can use the petals and leaves straight away in a fresh tea or you can dry them out by spreading them on a dry surface or hanging them in a dry spot out of the sun.
You’ll primarily want the petals but the leaves can also be used in your teas. In fact, my go-to for when my husband and/or I get sick is a nice Ginger-turmeric, Echinacea or chamomile tea with some Calendula petals tossed in(yum!).
A little more about Calendula plants:
Size: 15 – 18” bushes
Flowers: 3-4” wide, our seeds produce various bright colors from pastel yellow-orange, to deep orange, to bright golden yellow.
Germination: 7-14 days
Maturity: 98-105 days
Plant Spacing: 18"
Light: Full sun – Partial shade
2) Viola
Violas are amazing little flowers with a huge variety of colors, so if you love colorful flowers and fun patterns, then Violas are for you!
On top of that, they’re smaller than some of the other plants in this list, so they’re great for tighter spaces, and don’t have super high light requirements. They can tolerate some frost, so you can even sow these in late spring or summer if you’re growing them outside, otherwise they’re great options to grow year round indoors.
If that wasn’t enough, some Viola varieties are edible, and in fact, the Viola seeds we have in our shop produce edible flowers which are commonly used in meals like salads or just as a lovely garnish!
A little more about Viola plants:
Size: 6-8” little bushes
Flowers: 2-3” wide
Germination: 7-14 days
Maturity: 91-98 days
Plant Spacing: 8-10”
Light: Full sun – Partial shade
3) Petunia
Petunias are lovely, delicate-looking flowers of a mix of colors, including white, pink and purple. It’s another great option if you love color and flowers, and given the right conditions, can cover your entire planter in flowers as you can see in the planter below!
A little more about Petunia plants:
Size: 10-15” bushes
Flowers: ~4” blooms
Germination: 14 days(these need light to germinate)
Maturity: 98-105 days
Plant Spacing: 10-14”
Light: Full sun – Partial shade
Sadly these are pretty prone to aphids, so keep an eye on your petunias and beware if you’re growing them indoors!
4) Nasturtium
Nasturtiums are hard not to love. They have distinctly large, lovely leaves, that vining growth pattern, and bright and happy flowers.
These are great to either let trail down from a basket, to cover a fence, or to have grow up a trellis. They’re fast-growing and easy to both germinate and care for!
Like with Violas, some Nasturtiums are safe to eat, and the seeds we have in our shop are entirely edible, and not just the flowers, but the leaves, pods, seeds, and buds, too! Furthermore, while not all Nasturtiums will tolerate shadier conditions, our seeds are a semi-dwarf variety which allows it to perform better in smaller, shadier spots :)
A little more about Nasturtium plants:
Size: 18-24” long vines
Flowers: 2.5” blooms in a variety of colors. Our seeds will produce a range of blooms from golden yellow to reddish-orange.
Germination:14 – 21 days
Maturity: 54-63 days
Plant Spacing: 18 – 24”
Light: Full sun-Partial shade
5) Chamomile
Chamomile is a staple in any herb garden, being easy to grow, producing adorable little blooms and having so many herbal uses.
Chamomile has anti-inflammatory and relaxing properties and is most commonly used in herbal teas. On top of that, chamomile tea can be used as a natural pesticide for your other plants!
A little more about Chamomile plants:
Size: 12-24” tall
Flowers: 1” wide
Germination: ~7 days
Maturity: >90 days
Plant Spacing: 8-12”
Light: Full sun to partial shade
Chamomile is also pretty susceptible to pests, so make sure to treat any signs of an infestation as soon as possible.
Hopefully you enjoyed this post and found it inspiring and/or helpful! Share photos of your flower garden with us by tagging us on instagram @plantflix- I love to see the creative and lovely setups other hobbyists manage to come up with! What other flowers do you grow in your patio, balcony or windowsill garden? Comment below!!
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