It's planting time! Low-maintenance flowers you should add to your garden this May

We have entered the month of May, which is the most popular gardening month of the year. This is because May is when the cold weather and chances of frost are likely behind us. I say likely because the threat of frost does exist into May. However, with warmer trends in our changing patterns, the chance of frost is minimal.

When customers come into our greenhouse in May, we seem to have two opposite types of shoppers. First, there are customers who come in and know specifically what they want. They have been through the process of trial and error and have found the flowers that work best in their garden, and they stick with them.

Opposite of them are the shoppers who have no idea what they want. Maybe they're first-time gardeners, or they could also be the above-mentioned gardeners who are still in the process of trial and error. The process can be fun and interesting as long as you leave your expectations open.

If you're looking for some new suggestions, I'd like to share with you some of my favorites. The most important characteristic of any plant I look for is that it needs to be very low maintenance. I am one of those gardeners who enjoys planting. After they're planted, I water and fertilize, but this is all I really want to do. Even when it comes to watering, the plants I like to use will never need to be watered more frequently than once or twice a week once they are established.

The best flowers I have ever used, requiring the least amount of maintenance, are Dragon Wing Begonias. I use them on the west side of our house where the sun shines all day, however, they will also do very well in the shade. These Begonias will grow about 18 inches tall and wide and are available in shades of both red and pink.

My next favorite would be Lantana. There are many varieties of Lantana to choose from with a variety of color options. Their growth habits can also be different; there are upright varieties that are great for planting in beds and there are trailing varieties that are great for containers. Lantana is a hardy plant in southern climates. Since it is from the south, this flower thrives in the heat, needing full sun.

Pentas is another great sun-loving annual that will also grow about 18 inches tall and wide. Pentas have large clusters of flowers. They come in very vibrant colors with shades of red, pink, purple and white.

For color in the shade, my “go-to” choice is Coleus, an annual that has colorful foliage. Coleus are not grown as a blooming plant. The foliage colors are very distinct with blends of red, orange, pink and green. There are many varieties to choose from that grow in different size ranges. There are also varieties that will do well in the sun.

A great plant for areas that might be a blend of sun and shade are the varieties of Sunpatiens. This is a type of Impatien that was introduced in 2006 that could be grown in the sun, as traditional Impatiens were for the shade. Sunpatiens have very bright vibrant flowers and colorful foliage. With this choice, you have a wide range of colors.

If you're looking for even more suggestions, I would recommend going to the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden's website. Our zoo has been the home of trial gardens for many of the new plants that have been introduced over the last 24 years. You will find a list of their Hall of Fame Annuals at cincinnatizoo.org.

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Low-maintenance flowers to plant in your garden this May