With sunshine and blue skies here, we’re in for a stunner of a weekend, and after a cool, wet spring, I think we can all appreciate the arrival of more warm, dry weather. Along with the sun comes the perfect weather for getting your pots, containers, and flowerbeds planted up with color for summer beauty. As you plan for what you’ll plant this spring, here are five no-fuss plants you can check out for easy gardening.

1. Spreading and trailing petunias. Supertunias are one of the better-known brands we carry, but there are many others that perform similarly. Unlike old-fashioned petunias, spreading varieties can fill out to be several feet wide over the course of the summer, and some also mound. Even more impressive, most newer varieties are completely self-deadheading, meaning you don’t have to waste any time picking spent blooms off your plants in order to keep them looking good. Supertunias will perform well in containers and hanging baskets as well as in flowerbed plantings.

2. Calibrachoa, sometimes called million bells or Superbells. These smaller-flowered cousins to petunias have a bloom roughly half the size of a petunia and come in a wide variety of colors and flower patterns. Great for filling containers and hanging baskets, calibrachoa is a must-have for low-maintenance color. Like the petunias mentioned above, calibrachoa needs no deadheading, and because the flowers are smaller, they tend to bounce back more easily from a hard rain than petunias. One of my favorite new varieties of calibrachoa is Superbells Prism Pink Lemonade, with color-shifting flowers that bloom in a variety of shades from rich pink to yellow. Another stunning variety is Blackcurrant Punch, with rich magenta blooms that have a nearly black center. At Vander Giessen’s, we carry over 20 different colors of Superbells to fit into just about any color scheme you’re using!

3. Coleus. Traditionally used only in shade, all of the varieties of coleus we carry now thrive in everything from full sun to full shade, with rich foliage texture in a wide range of colors and variegated leaf patterns. This summer, try using coleus as an upright “thriller” element in a container, since most varieties fill out to a foot and a half to two feet tall. Or, if you like the look of foliage and want to forego blooms altogether, pair coleus with sweet potato vine, creeping jenny, sedum, and an ornamental grass for a pot filled with texture and color, sans flowers.

4. Megawatt begonias. These relative newcomers to the gardening world are beginning to catch on with gardeners who love the “wow” factor without the work. Like traditional wax begonias, Megawatts have thick, glossy green leaves, but unlike their counterparts, these plants grow to a towering two to three feet in height, with loads of flowers all summer. Better yet, Megawatt varieties will thrive in sun or shade and require minimal water. And for the cherry on top, Megawatts are relatively untouched by insects, so you won’t have to worry about bugs enjoying your flowers.

5. Impatiens. After a few years of struggling with older varieties that succumbed mid-summer to downy mildew, you may have given up on these tried-and-true garden staples, but I’m happy to report that after a few years of using the newer disease-resistant Beacon varieties in my garden—even in soil previously-contaminated with mildew spores—I’ve had zero issues with downy mildew. In shady flowerbeds, Beacon impatiens will bloom all summer without deadheading or trimming, allowing you to get back to the enjoyment of growing these beauties without the worry of disease killing them in their prime.

With the arrival of beautiful weather, now is the time to plant flowers for summer. Whether you’re an avid green thumb or a humble weekend warrior in the garden, having a garden filled with color doesn’t have to be loads of work when you choose the right plants. So, stop in at Vander Giessen’s, pick out the plants for your garden, and enjoy getting your fingers in the dirt once again!