• A French-type marigold provides bright yellows and oranges in the garden.Anna Yu/Photodisc/Getty Images
  
  Flowers are a colorful addition to the garden. Not only are they beautiful, but they attract hummingbirds, butterflies and beneficial insects. While there are hundreds of types of flowers for planting in the garden, the easiest flowers to grow are annual flowers that sprout readily from seed, bloom quickly and survive with little care.
  
  

Zinnia

• Zinnias (Zinnia elegans) are one of the easiest flowering plants to grow from seed. As long as zinnia plants are provided sufficient moisture, full sun and average garden soil, they can be grown by just about anyone. There are dozens of zinnia varieties available. Some varieties of zinnias produce flowers only 1 inch across, while others produce large multi-petaled flowers as large as 4 inches in diameter. Plant zinnia seed 1/4 inch deep in average garden soil after all danger of frost has passed. Zinnias bloom about 60 days after planting.
  
  

Cosmos

• Cosmos (Cosmos bipinnatus) is an annual flowering plant native to the United States. It can be grown anywhere there are at least 100 frost-free days in a row. Cosmos grows best in full sun and garden soil that is not heavily fertilized, so just about anyone can grow it. It grows to 4 feet tall and provides numerous spindly branches full of colorful orange, red, pink, white or yellow flowers, depending on the variety. Simply press cosmos seed into the surface of damp soil. It reseeds in the garden and may produce several crops in one season. Cosmos blooms about 60 days from planting.
  
  

Marigold

• Marigolds (Tagetes erecta) are easy to grow during warm weather and are often started by planting the inexpensive seed 1/4 inch deep in warm garden soil. Marigolds produce fern-like foliage and lots of yellow or orange flowers. Some types, such as the French marigold, produce single petaled daisy-like flowers on short stems, while the tall crackerjack variety produces large double flowers on 36-inch long stems. Marigolds bloom about 75 days from planting.
  
  

Sunflowers

• Sunflowers (Helianthus annuus) are an easy flower to grow from seed, especially for children. The large seeds germinate quickly in average garden soil after the danger of frost has passed. However, young sunflower plants can tolerate a light frost, so they will survive if planted too early by an impatient gardener. Sunflower plants grow over 6 feet tall and produce large leaves. After about 100 days, a single large flower is produced that matures into a seed head containing numerous seeds attractive to birds.
  
  

Larkspur

• Larkspur (Delphinium consolida) is another flower to grow easily from seed. The seeds are hard and black and spread over the surface of average garden soil in the fall. Larkspur seeds need the cooler days of winter to encourage germination. The feathery rosettes are visible in late winter and the 3 foot tall flower spikes appear in late spring. If allowed to go to seed, larkspur will provide an annual floral show without much effort on your part.