Fun Plants to Grow That Are Easy to Care For (Top 10)
Spring is on its way. The sun is out longer and the ground is warming up. Nature around us is exploding into bloom, and animals are emerging from hibernation. Indoors, people start planting seedlings to get a head start on their summer gardens.
While I do have a variety, I focus on plants that are fun to grow.
I’ve recently planted some herb plants, such as basil, lavender, and parsley. Some tomato and pepper plants have sprouted and are beginning to grow “true” leaves. Zinnia flowers and marigolds are on the way.
But some of these plants are harder than others to grow. It can be frustrating spending time on a baby seedling only to have it die days later.
It’s not all like that though. Some plants are fun to grow! Since I want plants to be fun for people, I made a list of ones that I’ve personally enjoyed growing.
Below you’ll find the top ten most fun plants to grow this year!
Mint
Mint is definitely a fun and easy plant to grow, and it spreads like wildfire!
Mint thrives when given rich soil that drains well. To maximize the mintiness of your plant, grab potting soil.
Just make sure to keep it away from other garden plants since it grows so much! Mint is most commonly found indoors in pots, where it can be contained. But if you love the smell and taste of mint, plant some along your house and watch it spread!
Sometimes I overwater my plants causing them to die. But not mint! Mint prefers moist soil, and it doesn’t need full sunlight to grow. It’s definitely one of the more versatile plants out there.
One popular way to enjoy mint is in tea, where it has numerous benefits. Follow this easy recipe for mint tea and experience its wonderful effects.
Zinnia
I just bought a packet of zinnia seeds recently and they were the first ones to sprout! They attract pollinators, so you can expect to see more bees, hummingbirds, and butterflies when the flowers begin to sprout.
Zinnias come in different shapes and sizes, and show off colors ranging from red and orange, to yellow, white and pink.
Zinnias love full sun, so put these flowers in the sunniest spots around your house.
Spinach
Every time I think of spinach, I think of Popeye eating a can before he does a manly act.
If you have a garden bed, plant spinach seeds directly where you plan on having them. If you opt for container growing, just place some seeds in an 8” pot.
Spinach is very tolerable to the cold and thrives in shady areass- another great plant for those that lack sunny areas in their space!
Remember that bag of the good soil left over from planting the mint? Spinach benefits from rich, composted soil, so use some of those leftovers when planting spinach.
Ivy
I recently bought some German ivy from the grocery store and I love the progress I see so far! I even 3D printed a wall-hanging pot to put it in.
Ivy will climb (or fall) depending on where it’s placed. I see many houses that let ivy grow around their property. It can completely envelope the outside walls of a small house or a hillside if you let it!
Ivy likes moist soil and shady areas. Good thing the two go hand-in-hand! This makes ivy a great accent to any interior house design. It will mostly receive indirect sunlight (if placed on a wall like mine) and you can easily monitor when it needs watered next!
Ivy is a fun plant to grow, cause you never know where it will end up!
You should do research on certain ivy plants if you have any dogs, cats, or other roaming animals. Some ivy plants are known to be toxic if ingested by your furry friends.
Basil
Basil can be placed in a partially shady area, but typically enjoys six to eight hours of sun.
If you experience hot summers, make sure you take precaution to keep the soil moist. It helps to mulch the base of the plant to help keep moisture from evaporating away before it can get a drink.
Plant basil beside any tomato plants you have. Not only do they go well together in the kitchen, they also grow well together in the garden!
The best basil flavor happens when you prune off any flowers that grow. When you begin to see a small arm with flowers on it, cut it off at the base. This allows the plant to focus on giving delicious nutrients to the leaves. Otherwise, the leaves take on a bitter taste.
Marigolds
I remember planting marigolds back in third grade, which tells you how easy and fun they are to grow!
These plants bloom brightly the whole summer, and give off wonderful displays of red, orange and yellow color.
Marigolds are great companion plants to have in your garden. Some of it’s best friends include tomatoes, cucumbers, strawberries, basil, kale, and onions.
Marigolds are very heat resistant, and flourish in full sun. Pinch the stems early to encourage a bushier growth and more blossoms!
If you’re unfamiliar with how or why you should pinch seedlings, the video below offers a great explanation.
Oregano
Oregano plants that end up in pots love to spill out over the edges. If you opt to put them in your garden, they make excellent ground cover too!
Oregano likes the soil to be moist. If the top inch of soil is dry, that means it’s thirsty. If you live in a more southern area, oregano would benefit from some partial shade. Otherwise, give it lots of sun!
When you harvest your plants, it’s important to leave about 2/3 of your plant untouched. If you take too much at a time, it’ll struggle to rebound and may end up dying. This goes for most plants!
Kale
Kale is used in many dishes that also go well with spinach. It prefers cooler environments, and may even wither away if directly exposed to the summer sun. Kale tastes best when exposed to below-freezing temperatures, which makes it a popular choice for a fall harvest.
Kale is typically safe from being over-watered. If you decide to keep it indoors, buy an 8” pot and make sure that the soil doesn’t get too dry!
Succulents
If you were to tour my house right now, you’d be shocked at the amount of succulents I have. One reason I like them so much is because they are so easy to care for!
Succulents originate from deserts, which means they need very little water and love lots of sunlight. There are endless varieties, so you just have to pick your favorite kind!
Unless you live in a desert, or an area with very little rain or snowfall, your succulents will have to stay in a pot.
Another reason I like succulents is because of how easy some are to propagate! Propagation simply means using a cutting or leaf from an existing plant to grow a new one.
Typically (but double check with your plant) you can pluck a leaf or an arm off a succulent, and another one exactly like it will grow from it. Endless succulents!
Cherry Tomatoes
Cherry tomatoes are more fun than typical tomato plants because they bear fruit much faster (yes tomatoes are fruits)!
Tomato plants in general are sensitive to the cold, so you’ll have to keep your plant inside until a couple weeks after the last frost date.
If you don’t have a garden, you’ll have to upsize for a bigger pot. One that is ~12” tall and ~12” wide at the top should work great.
After you begin to see little tomatoes growing (or maybe even before that) it would be wise to make or buy a cage. The tomatoes bear a heavy weight on its branches, and a cage is the best way to support your baby tomatoes and keep them off the ground.
If you have a fence or post near your tomato plant, scrap the cage and tie the tomato plant right to the fence!
Tomato plants need a minimum of six hours of sunlight a day, so make sure it can find the sun easy. They also do well with big drinks of water once a week, as opposed to small, more frequent drinks.
Fun Plants Teach You How to Live Freely
I love having plants around my house. As a big plant guy, I enjoy the connection to the outdoors around me. Nature and its animals are masters of interdependent living!
Plants teach you how to live freely and embrace the world around you. After you start growing some plants in your house, you’ll soon learn a multitude of things even outside plant care.
Plants teach you to look at life through a different point of view. You have to figure out why your plants aren’t doing so well when they start drooping or becoming discolored.
They give you optimism for the future when you look forward to finally harvesting your hard work.
Gardening teaches you disappointment, an essential aspect of our lives. I’ve (unintentionally) killed many seedlings for many different reasons, but I don’t give up. Instead, I give other plants a new shot at life and learn from my mistakes.
Plants teach you to plan for the future and to delay gratification, which are marks of success and a high IQ.
Gardening gives me an excuse to get outside the house. Most Americans are vitamin D deficient, so any reason to be outside is a good one!
In essence, you and your plants grow together!
The list goes on, but the results are undeniable.
So what are you waiting for? Go out and buy some seeds or seedlings, and have some fun with your new plant buddies!
