What are your 'happy flowers'?

I want to grow lots of flowers that bring joy and happiness this year. I've got a lot of gaps and it's all looking a bit drab.

Sunflowers always make me smile.

Are there any particular flowers that bring you joy? I'm looking for ideas.

Any tips for growing would be welcome too (e.g. from seed or buy a little pot), as I'm a beginner!

 

I can't really help as I am always happy when anything in my garden flowers!
I do grow quite a few alpine plants, and I particularly love their tiny, beautiful flowers, except for Sempervivums, because the flowers aren't always very attractive and the rosette dies back after flowering. Garden centres usually have plenty of potted alpines.
I also love the lovely blue luminosity of Ceanothus, but I haven't yet found one that is small enough not to take over in my sunny back garden. i have one in my front garden but I think it is too shady there for it.

 

So true, as I was writing I was thinking, every flower surely brings happiness!
Thank you for the alpine idea, they are lovely and I had forgotten about them.
I do have some Ceanothus though it's getting a few dead branches now.

 

Cosmos is easy to grow from seed, flowers are abundant and there's such a variety of colours.

 

Tulips, then I know the weather is getting better

 

I agree with @katecat58 that the flowers of sempervirons are an acquired taste.

I like osteospermum flowers. They always seem so cheerful to me, like they are relaxing on a holiday somewhere, faces to the sun, oozing contentment.

 

All of my roses.
Also night scented stock. I grow them from seed every year. They aren't much to look at during the day but when the flowers open in the evening the scent is beautiful.

 

Cosmos is a great idea, I just looked it up and see it has a long flowering season and I can sow it straight into the soil. I wonder how I distinguish weeds when I do this - I guess sow into freshly weeded soil, then pick out the weeds as they come up. I love the look of the tubular cosmos.

 

Tulips are wonderful and for some reason I have none this year! I really like the peach coloured ones.

 

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I'm always amazed at the variety of colour combinations that Helenium 'Sahin's Early Flowerer' produces, throughout the summer. If you buy a largish plant now you could divide it to get more plants for your money. They prefer full sun and moisture retentive soil. Bees love them!​

 

I just looked up osteospermum, what happy flowers. I love the purple glow ones - orange and purple graduation.

 

Thank you for mentioning night scented stock, I have been meaning to grow it. I just love that smell in the evening.
I love the different smells of the rose varieties. I have a little orange one in a pot but it doesn't have much of a smell.

 

Oh, who can resist the broad smile of a fasciated sempervivum flower spike?


All flowers make me happy, I guess - but especially scented flowers!

 

Helenium 'Sahin's Early Flowerer' are gorgeous, and so good to know that the bees love them. I've been seeing some lovely bees around last year so would be great to have flowers they particularly like. I am going to be armed with a great list when I go to my garden centre!

 

Sempervivumm, an actual smiling flower, how very happy - I have never seen this before! I agree, scented flowers bring so much pleasure.