Plants to Grow in Containers if You Don’t Have a Green Thumb

Many novice gardeners don’t feel confident enough in their skills to follow a complex care routine for their plants. Some of those gardeners don’t believe that they can grow plants at all. However, nothing could be further from the truth. There are numerous plants that are easy to grow in containers, even if you don’t have a green thumb. This article will introduce you to some of the best ones.

The Easiest Plants to Grow in Containers

Gardeners raise plants for several reasons. While some people want to admire the fantastic flowers and foliage that container plants can offer, other people are more interested in making their gardening venture a bit more practical. Since gardeners can have such different goals, we’ve divided our list of easy-to-grow plants into these three categories:

• Edible plants
• Flowering plants
• Foliage plants

Some of these plants grow well indoors or outdoors, and others will prefer one location over the other. Thankfully, one of the main benefits of growing plants in containers is that you can move them to a better location any time you want.

There are a few other advantages that containers will afford you to make your gardening experience easier. We’ll explore the basics of container gardening later in this article. For now, let’s introduce the best plants to grow in containers for those with little to no gardening expertise.

10 Easiest Edible Plants to Grow in Containers

Harvesting vegetables, fruits, and herbs is one of the most rewarding experiences you can gain from container gardening. Here are ten plants that are easy to grow and will give you delicious ingredients to use in your kitchen:

1. Tomatoes: Tomatoes are one of the most common plants that novice gardeners grow in containers. Part of the reason for that popularity relates to how easy they are to grow. With healthy soil and full sunlight, you’ll enjoy ripe tomatoes in no time.
2. Basil: With well-drained soil and neutral soil acidity, you’ll have no struggle growing this delicious herb. 
3. Strawberries: Plant your strawberries in the spring and give them full sunlight. Once the fruits are bright red, they are ready for you to harvest.
4. Peppers: Both spicy peppers and bell peppers are easy to grow in containers. Water them regularly and let them grow in soil that is rich in organic nutrients.
5. Lettuce: Lettuce is a staple in many homes. To grow your own, find potting soil that can hold some moisture and a location with plenty of sunlight.
6. Summer Squash: there are several varieties of summer squash you can grow. Each one will give you edible fruits after just a few weeks of straightforward care.
7. Chives: Plant your chives just after the winter’s last frost. With plenty of nutrients and full sunlight, this plant grows with ease.
8. Sugar Snap Peas: You can eat the peas and the pods of this plant. Just remember to grow them next to a trellis so that they can climb.
9. Eggplant: Eggplant can be incredibly productive. Give them full sunlight but keep the soil moist with consistent watering and mulch.
10. Potatoes: Potatoes are easy to grow but can get somewhat large. Make sure to allow your potato plant plenty of space to expand.

10 Easiest Flowering Plants to Grow in Containers

Flowers are one of the most desirable ornamental features in any garden. Use these plants to add incredible blooms to your container garden display:

1. Geranium: Let this plant grow in standard potting soil. A location with full or partial sunlight will work to produce impressive blooms.
2. Begonia: To grow begonia, provide each plant with about six inches of space and don’t let the soil get too dry.
3. Petunia: More sunlight is better for this easy plant. Look for an area that gets six or eight hours of light per day.
4. Cosmos: The best way to grow cosmos is to give fertilizer regularly. Apply fertilizer once per week for the best results.
5. Marigold: Excellent drainage and full sunlight are a must if you want to enjoy the golden blooms of this plant.
6. Chrysanthemum: This plant shows off late in the season with profuse blooms. Sunlight, drainage, and soil nutrients will give it the best chance to do so.
7. Impatiens: This plant grows well in areas that have some shade. If you don’t let the soil dry out, you’ll see lovely colorful flowers.
8. Pansies: Pansies show multiple colors in each individual flower. Give them full sunlight but move them to a shaded area when the weather is exceptionally hot.
9. Verbena: If you don’t let the soil get too wet, this drought-tolerant plant will give you flowers all growing season.
10. Zinnia: Zinnias are multi-colored and bloom in summer. They also adapt well to both acidic and alkaline soils.

10 Easiest Foliage Plants to Grow in Containers

Flowers are not the only form of beauty present in a garden. Foliage can also offer fantastic visual appeal. Here are some of the best foliage plants to grow in containers when you lack a green thumb:

1. Sweet Potato Vine: The bright green leaves of this trailing plant are the main attraction. The best part is this plant is adaptable to many different growing conditions.
2. Hosta: This plant has amazing foliage and pretty flowers as well. Hosta also grows exceptionally well in shaded locations.
3. English Ivy: This climbing vine has trident-shaped leaves. Give it a shady area and something to climb on for the best results.
4. Coral Bells: This tiny plant comes in different colors. It grows well in partial shade and produces tiny flowers as well.
5. Persian Shield: With deeply colored foliage, this plant grows well indoors and out. With regular fertilization, this plant will continue to show healthy growth.
6. Coleus: Keep the soil moist for your coleus plant, and it will reward you with leaves that no other plant can match.
7. Ferns: There are many kinds of ferns, each of which offers pleasing foliage. Most also enjoy shaded areas.
8. Ornamental Kale: Ornamental kale shows many incredible colors on its leaves. It grows in many hardiness zones and loves acidic soil.
9. Elephant Ears: This plant is ideal when you want to go for a tropical look. Give water when the weather becomes dry.
10. Variegated Sage: Ensure that this plant gets full sunlight and access to organic nutrients. In return, you’ll get a plant with amazing, variegated leaves.

Container Gardening Basics

Finding the easiest plants to grow in containers is a great place to start. However, there are a few more insights that will help make your container gardening successful. Before we conclude, let’s cover a few container gardening basics.

Benefits of Using Containers to Grow Plants

Before starting your garden, you should understand the essential benefits container gardening holds over other approaches. Here are a few of the benefits of growing your plants in a container:

• Control over soil quality: When you grow plants in containers, you have total control over the soil you use. Take advantage of that by filling your containers with a high-quality soil that is rich in nutrients to give your plants the best chance to thrive.
• Mobility and easy access: Growing plants in containers lets you move them to a new location any time you like. It also makes it easy to access your plants when you need to perform maintenance.
• Less weeding: Since you have such great control over what you put into your container, you’ll notice fewer weeds than you would when growing plants in the ground.

Those are three of the top reasons to use containers when gardening, but you may find more as you embark on your container gardening journey.

How to Plant in Containers

Once you have a container and the plants that you want to use, you need to know how to plant in containers correctly. Here are a few fundamental steps for you to follow:

• Find the right kind of container: Not all containers are alike, but some are more common than others. What’s most important is finding a container with enough space and drainage. Ceramic pots and fabric grow bags are two popular container options you can try.
• Find the ideal location: Some plants want full sunlight, and others need shade. Using a container lets you locate and relocate your plant until you find the perfect location.
• Use high-quality soil: Fill your container with soil that has excellent drainage and plenty of organic nutrients. You can add fertilizer and other amendments to ensure your plants get the fuel they need.

There are many factors that influence the success of your garden. But if you remember those easy planting tips, you stand a better chance of raising beautiful, healthy plants in your garden.

Creating a Simple Plant Care Routine

Gardening requires ongoing care, even if you find plants that are incredibly easy to maintain. When gardening with containers, you should set a schedule for these fundamental gardening chores:

• Watering: Water is essential to all plants, but each one will need different amounts. Study each plant you wish to grow, then give them water as is appropriate for the species. 
• Fertilization: Giving your plants fertilizer is an excellent way to encourage them to grow. Again, each plant will have different needs regarding how much and what kind of fertilizer they need.
• Pruning: Learning how to prune effectively can take some time. To simplify the matter, it’s almost always a good idea to cut off parts of your plant that are dead, damaged, or diseased. 
• Repotting: As plants expand, they need more growing space. Repotting is necessary to give your plants more soil into which they can expand their roots.

Some plants will call for closer attention, while others will thrive with little to no effort on your part. Regardless, any responsible gardener should develop a general care routine that includes the four tasks in the preceding list.  

Final Thoughts on Plants to Grow in Containers if You Don’t Have a Green Thumb

Finding plants to grow in a container is easier than you may have thought. Even if you don’t have a green thumb, planting the species we mentioned in this article and following our quick guide on container gardening is sure to lead you to success.