Easy Plants To Grow Yourself

So the past few months I've become a bit of a plant maestro.

Before this I was notorious for killing plants. Never did I think I would see the day that my house would contain 61 real thriving plants. Yes that's correct, I currently own 61 plants, and counting. Ahh, that oxygen though! 

I specifically wanted to write this post for people who are just...(I'm gonna say it)... PLANT KILLERS.

I wanted to compile a list of plants that require a lot less maintenance and make for really easy growing.

I think now that I know what I'm doing, I can easily spot my previous mistakes so I'll throw in some do's and don'ts too!

So where have we all been going wrong?

First up, you're gonna need daylight. If you live like I used to (under a 140ft bridge) with no daylight, I'd recommend buying a pre-grown cactus that you can just shove in your bathroom. They absorb moisture from the steam of your showers and therefore need little watering.

However, if you have a windowsill that at least gets an hour or two of sunshine a day then you'll be just fine!

I actually found that I was previously buying plants that are already fully grown and just keeping them alive which is what I think majority of us do, but, I would so highly recommend growing your own. They become your own little project that you get really absorbed into. They become your pride and joy and it's surprisingly fun! (sad AF I know).

I just think that you're more likely to pay attention and try harder if they are your own creation. 

You'll need plant pots. It's best to start out with seed trays or little biodegradable planters which I prefer (available at garden stores or in the kits), and then once they are big enough to handle you can transfer them into a proper plant pot. 

It's important to make sure they are in the right temperature. I have a little thermostat that tells me how hot it is but I rarely use it. It's not a necessity to be honest, as long as you plant them the right time of year you should be set. 

If you plant seeds at the wrong time of year, it simply won't work. Always read up when buying seeds that it's the right time of year for them. Now is the perfect time to stock up as a lot of them can be planted during May.

'Where can I buy seeds then Stacie?'

Ahh, I'm so glad you asked. There's lots of choices. My favourite kits that I started out with were these ones on Amazon, they come with everything you need! Planters, seeds, labels, compost and a guide which has really clear instructions with everything you need to know. You don't need to know anything about plants, it's all explained. 

You can also stock up at any garden centre, they are particularly good for flowers, supermarkets tend to sell seeds to grow your own herbs, and I actually got a huge supply from Tiger of all places (they have an amazing selection of cheap plant pots too)!

So what plants are easiest? Below are sections of flowers, vegetables and herbs that I find are growing nicely and haven't struggled so far.  I'd love to have added fruit but I haven't tried fruit yet but I really want to! I'll also mention towards the end some that can be a bit trickier so you can avoid them until you've improved your plant maintenance skills!

Flowers

Zinnia

Zinnia are really colourful flowers. Somewhere in-between a colourful sunflower and a daisy. I seeded mine straight into a full sized plant pot and placed it on some shelving outside. I tend to grow all of my plants indoors at first but the instructions said to sow them straight into their final position so I'll see how they get on. You don't have to separate them when they've grown, you can just throw them into some soil and leave them to it. They are still in the early days but I've only had to water them once a day and they don't require all that much water anyway, you could probably water them every other day to be honest. They took a little longer to sprout than my other plants but overall, a very easy plant to maintain. I bought my pack for £1 from Tiger.

Lathyrus

I'm really excited about my lathyrus. These are super pretty feminine flowers that can grow up walls like vines. Again, they took a little longer to start sprouting (I'm guessing that's just the norm for flowers) around two weeks. But once they did sprout, they grew super fast. It's best to plant them in rows and about 7cm apart.

They look really sturdy and upright at the moment, I'm going to take them outside soon and place them against the brick wall. I water them once a day and so far, no problems! Another £1 Tiger purchase.

Nasturtium

This has been one of my favourite flowers to grow! Another colourful one to brighten up your balcony. The seeds are a lot larger than I thought they would be. They sprouted pretty quickly and grew at lightning speed! This is my biggest own grown plant so far. She will be ready to be moved outside very soon. I've named her Natasha. She's a favourite. 

They really appreciate sunshine so keep them somewhere that gets a good amount of daylight. And they take in a fair amount of water once they've sprouted.  Another plant that can be sowed liberally. No need to separate. These were part of my Amazon kit. They are also edible which is cool!

Vegetables

Carrots

I'm currently growing purple carrots. Part of my funky veg amazon kit. I presumed vegetables would be harder to look after and although they require a bit more attention than flowers, they are all thriving! 

The carrots sprouted fairly quickly and have stayed nice and sturdy throughout. They've just started sprouting extra leaves too. They require a fair amount of water. I started off watering twice a day but then reduced it to just once a day. I have some indoors and also outdoors to test what works best and they are doing about the same, so I don't think it makes a huge difference as long as it's not frosty outside. They like sunlight too so a nice sunny position is advised. 

The only annoying thing about vegetables is they have to be spaced quite far apart once they get bigger so the roots don't tangle and require more nutrition. So I'd advise a big planter from a garden centre if you intend to grow any veg. Totally worth the extra effort though, and still very easy!!

Tomatoes

Part of my funky veg kit, I'm growing some Tigerella which are striped tomatoes!

These have been some of my strongest plants yet. They haven't looked weak at any point. Very little maintenance required. I water every other day. They love sunshine and might lean towards where the sunlight is coming from too which is cute. They do just as well outdoors as they do indoors. Once they grow their four leaves and there's no risk of frost (early May) then they do best outside in a sunny position.

Lettuce

These grew a lot quicker than I thought, and although I feel they haven't had as much attention as my other plants they are doing great! I've watered them every other day and they are growing quickly and look very healthy! 

Courgettes

I can't believe how quickly these sprouted and how big they got in such a small amount of time! For quite a heavy plant, they are staying sturdy and I'm impressed. I water them once a day and have placed them in a sunny position. I reckon they'll be outside in no time. They have to be spaced apart so again, a big planter is a good idea. I sowed mine in a £2 baking tin from Lidl. Anything can become a plant pot if you're creative. 

Herbs

Coriander

Just to prove how easy it is to grow coriander. We planted some coriander in a pot and put it on the shelving outside, forgot about it, didn't pay it any attention and it still sprouted and grew healthily. Now that we have noticed it of course, it's getting some TLC and is thriving! It even has that lovely 'coraindery' smell even though it's only just starting out.

Basil

I have a couple of basil plants on the go and one of them is in a cute little milk jug. They sprouted pretty quickly and in bulk. They kind of pop up out of nowhere. I water mine every 2-3 days and not too much water either. Very easy to grow! 

Mint

These took a little while to sprout. I think they appreciate water more so than the other herbs. Again, growing beautifully. The good thing about herbs is they don't rely on sunshine. It's good to get some daylight on them but they can be indoor or outdoor plants so they are good to grow if you have bad natural daylight in your home. 

Parsley

This grows pretty quickly! And same as the others, water every few days and just leave them to it! 



Plants I own which take a little more maintenance

Sprouts

They are very quick growing but because they grow so tall and thin they can become limp and tangle up. They also need a lot of water and need planting a whopping 75cm apart!! So it's not ideal for space. They need holding up with something if you want them to stay upright so I'd say these are a little more difficult to look after in those early stages.

Marigold

I currently have marigolds on the go and they are doing really well and don't require too much looking after BUT I planted my first batch in January (it told me to) and because we had that heatwave in February it completed wiped them out. Unfortunately that's just what happens with English weather so if they fall that easily, I would say get marigolds you can plant later on in the year.

Swiss Chard

I can't quite seem to get my balance right with these. I just presume if they are limp that they are poorly. They might be fine but I don't know if I'm over-watering or under watering. There's just something about them that's tricky.

Monstera

Monstera is actually my favourite plant and the only reason I'm putting it on this part of the list is because they GUZZLE water and the second they become dehydrated they start to become limp. On the other hand, too much sunshine and the leaves turn yellow. It requires a lot of love and the second it gets neglected it can go on a downhill slope very quickly. Lol me. 

So that is my list of the easiest plants to grow yourself, even if you don't have green fingers. Anybody can do it as long as they follow the correct instructions. I'm very excited to have a very colourful happy bee-friendly balcony this summer!