17 Easy plants to grow indoors and outdoors

Anyone can start gardening. You have plenty of beginner-friendly options for easy plants to grow indoors and outdoors! 

Plants that are easy to grow have adaptable characteristics. They adjust well to the environment. Some low-maintenance plants can even survive in minimal light conditions. Plus, these plants are not so prone to pest infestation, which can be a little tricky to treat for beginners.

Here’s a list of the easiest houseplants to keep alive. 

7 Easy indoor plants to grow

Improve the relaxing feel of your home by adding a plant or two as ornaments. Not only do indoor plants look good, but they can also provide many health benefits. 

1. ZZ Plant

Do you want a robust plant tough enough to survive without much effort? Get a hardy plant that can live under any indoor condition, even with little light. Such plants retain their leaves and look good even with minimal attention. 

The ZZ plant is a succulent that grows slowly. Its tuber is thick and stores water for months with no watering. The stems also hold moisture, as do the dark green, naturally shiny leaves. This explains why it can survive by itself for a long time without intervention. In fact, overwatering can actually kill this plant! The ZZ plant just needs watering every other week or whenever the soil is dry. 

2. Philodendron

A philodendron has solid green or variegated leaves. You just need to water this plant when its leaves get droopy. This plant requires bright to medium indirect light and consistent watering to thrive. With a little more TLC, its leaves can spread out beautifully. 

3. Aloe vera

Aloe vera is both easy to grow and provides many health benefits. These plants grow well in sunny spots, even in well-lighted bathrooms! Aloe vera is also beneficial for your hair and skin and can relieve pain from cuts and burns.

Grow aloe vera in a potting mix for succulents, and wait for the soil to dry up before watering it again. 

4. Cactus

Do you want to spruce up your work desk? Get a small plant like a cactus! Cacti come in many shapes, colours, and sizes. They also thrive in a sunny spot, a warm room, and minimal watering. Want to go on a week-long vacation? It won’t be a problem for your cactus!

5. Pothos

Pothos is an easy plant that springs back into life once watered. This plant is durable and can easily adapt to any indoor environment. They can grow in both low-light and well-lit conditions. 

Pothos also lights up the overall atmosphere of any room, as its leaves are heart-shaped. If you can, place this plant on a shelf to hang them as vine plants.

6. Spider plant

Do you want a natural air filter for your home? Get a spider plant! It’s a fuss-free houseplant that quickly and easily forms new plants. All you need is indirect light and watering once a week. Once the “baby” plants have grown from the mother plant, you can repot the new plants and place them in well-lit spots.

7. Snake plant

A snake plant has attractive leaves that are stiff, sharp, and spikey. These tall plants will need to get food and water occasionally. Still, they do well even when left alone most of the time. Snake plants can tolerate a range of light conditions, but they prefer indirect light. Water your snake plant only when its soil has dried out, especially during wintertime.

☞ Related article: Learn how to keep your indoor plants alive

7 Easy plants to grow outside

You can have a great-looking yard or garden with minimal skills and time! These easy outdoor plants are great for beginners. What’s more, some of these plants grow fast and can survive extreme weather conditions. 

1. Pansies

If you want to add a little whimsical, Alice-in-Wonderland touch to your garden, add these hardy little flowers that can survive even winter temperatures! You can purchase them as fully grown plants and plant them directly into your garden. If you want to try growing them from seeds, get some from the store and place each seed in moist soil spaced between 7 to 12 inches apart.

2. Tomatoes

Complete your salad dish with tomatoes that you can grow straight from your own garden! Tomatoes are one of the easy garden plants you can try growing outdoors (but you can also start indoors). If you’re a beginner, you may want to start with varieties that bear smaller fruits, such as cherry tomatoes. 

3. Basil

Basil is another plant you can use for amazing dishes in the kitchen. This herb is a great ingredient for pasta, salads, and sandwiches. It’s also a natural bug repellent, so if you place it next to fruit plants like tomatoes, it will serve as protection against unwanted pests. 

When planting basil, keep in mind that it needs plenty of sunlight. Watering should be done whenever the soil dries up. Prune the leaves regularly and avoid waiting for them to bloom. When it blooms, your basil may turn bitter.

4. Sunflowers

Sunflowers are one of the easiest flowers to grow in your garden. Plus, their golden yellow petals brighten up any place you plant them! 

Sunflowers don’t need much fertiliser, and they can thrive in even the soggiest soils! But they do need direct, unobstructed sunlight. 

5. Mint

Mint is another easy herb to add to your garden. It thrives so well outdoors that its roots and runners (or stems that grow in all directions) can occupy your whole space. If you don’t want this to happen, you may opt to plant mint in container pots.

6. Spinach

Sow spinach directly in your garden 4-6 weeks before the last frost in your area; This plant can withstand the cold. 

Here’s how to plant spinach if you already have the seeds: 

• Prime the seeds by soaking them in water for 24 hours.

• Dry them off on a paper towel for a day. 

• Put the seeds in an airtight zip-lock bag and keep them in a cool place for one week. 

• Sow the seeds in an inch of tilled soil that’s been tilled. Spinach seeds germinate best in cool soil with a temperature of 7⁰ C to 20⁰ C (45⁰ F to 68⁰F).  

7. Marigolds

Bright-coloured annual marigolds are also easy to grow. These cute little flowers have fifty species, but their flowerheads mostly look like daisies or carnations. Marigolds thrive in full sunshine and can withstand very hot weather. They also do best in a well-drained soil that’s fertile and healthy.

3 Easy vegetable plants that grow quickly

1. Arugula

Want plants you can grow in 2 to 3 weeks? Arugula is one of the quickest plants to grow! Seedlings grow between 7 to 14 days after planting the seeds. You can plant them now to harvest them in about 3 weeks. 

2. Radishes

Radishes can be harvested as early as three weeks after planting. Just sprinkle the seeds in your outdoor garden.

3. Bok choy

If you love Asian dishes, consider planting bok choy, a type of Chinese cabbage. Depending on the variety, you can get your bok choy ready for your favourite Asian dish in 45 to 60 days.

☞ Learn more: Beginners guide to gardening

Getting your plants 

Getting these common garden plants can be as easy as growing them. Once you’ve chosen the plants to grow in your home, you can book a plant delivery service. Your Tasker can scout around your local area for your preferred plants, be it spider plants or marigolds. Save yourself the trip to the plant nursery and get your plants delivered straight to your door.