What plants or flowers are easiest to keep alive?

I am the world's worst gardener. What sort of plants and flowers require little to no upkeep?

What plants or flowers are easiest to keep alive?
When I had a boyfriend who was a botanist, and I exposed my black thumb, he said I should raise coleus. They are easy to grow and hard to kill. Just plant them, water them, give them sunlight, and enjoy them. The leaves are all sorts of lovely colors if they get enough sunlight, but they will be mostly green if the light is inadequate.
Reply:No, I'm the worst





the only plant I haven't killed is Bamboo/Bambu
Reply:Marigolds----Gerainiums---- Hostas-----Petunias---- Black Eyed Susans-----Purple Cone Flowers----Live Forevers-----Yucca,s---- To name a few, are all hardy, and require little care, except a little water.
Reply:Ones that are natural to the area, for example, cacti in the SW, black eyede susans and echenasia in the midwest, etc.would be the easiest to grow since they are ideally suited to the climate, soil and water. Go to your local nursery or just check online as to what grows in your area.


The great thing is- you can grow them and not have to do much but weed! They are also eco friendly!
Reply:I usually have the worst luck keeping any plant alive. However one time I was given a hugh African Violet plant. So I read up on how to take care of them. The plant I was given was in a hugh pot and in reading the nature of the plant I learned they should always be kept in a four inch pot. So I broke the plant apart, giving me eight plants that I replanted in four inch pots. Next step was to always water them from the saucers they should be set in. Never water from the top because if you get the leaves wet they will spot and die. Well low and behold I had the most beautiful window full of flowering African Violets.





So first always keep them in four inch pots of soil especially for African Violets. Water them from the bottom. Use plant food especially for African Violets. Always keep them in a northern exposure. Follow this simple routine and I promise you will have the most beautiful plants that will give you enjoyment for years to come. What is wonderful about them is each year because they grow so during the year that you can break each plant apart and from each plant wind up with two per. Hope this makes sense. Enjoy!
Reply:get yourself a cactus, lots of sun, and not alot of water
Reply:Well, make up your mind, do you want flowers or just any old plant?





I've kept a few house plants in my day, and I'm a pretty bad gardener too (all I ever did usually was to water the plants, and I'm sure I watered some of the too much). Succulent plants such as cactuses and certain other desert plants can go for some time without watering, and cactuses have thorns which will also protect them from any household pets that might otherwise damage a succulent plant. Alternatively, I think ivy is quite resilient (I once grew a piece of ivy from a cutting, without even starting with any roots), and if all else fails, you can try just growing weeds and then selecting the ones you like as house plants. :P
Reply:Contact your local Artist-Blacksmith and ask about acquiring a black iron rose. They should be able to survive a nuclear winter, as long as temperature do not rise above 1200 degrees Fahrenheit. The national organization is located at ABANA.com
Reply:Go native!


Growing native would be best because they are already accustom to the climate. You don't have to labor over them. Many people say cactus, but in fact they are quite easy to kill if you over water them.
Reply:P. Allen Smith recommends sedums, marigolds, and sunflowers:


http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/19174814/


http://www.sedumphotos.net/main.php


http://www.gardenguides.com/plants/info/...


http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symb...





I'd recommend cactus and various herbs:


http://www.cactusmuseum.com/info.asp


http://www.wvu.edu/~agexten/hortcult/her...
Reply:I have a kind of flower called a four o'clock (scientific name mirabilis jalapa) in my front yard. The reason I stick to them is because they are hard to kill and do good with just watering it maybe twice a week if that.





The reason that the flower is called a four o'clock is because the head part of the tubular base doesn't open til 4:00 in the afternoon.





To keep it from spreading to other parts of your yard make sure to pick off the seeds so that you can give to friends or family.





There is also a special project going on in relation to getting four o'clocks spread all over the world for cancer awareness. You can find out more about the project at: http://www.symbolofhope.com/English_Home...
Reply:I CHALLENGE THEE TO A KILL-OFF,BUSTER!


YOU, THE WORST?!HOW DARE YOU ASSUME!?


ONLY ONE WAY TO KNOW,SAID,AND AFOREMENTIONED,'KILL-OFF'





i treat my greens with the bi-polar care you'd think only the pole-hardened strains of mold would thrive on and yet today, ive got a literal house-fulla plants-only one is dead(the tomato,ive never found a red-fruit/vegg-to-be-able to survive any one of my ten death be-blacked digits)!





heres what ive got thriving:





SPIDER PLANT!


EASY TO ROOT AND GROW LIKE WEEDS-* USE EITHER UNCHLORINATED WATER OR LET YOUR TAP WATER STAND OUT 1 NIGHT BEFORE FEEDING THEM TO AVOID YELLOW/BROWN TIPS).


THEY LOVE LIGHT BUT CAN BE PRETTY VERSATILE SFARS LEVEL





POTHOS!


GORGEOUS %26amp;TRAILING ALL OVER!


JUST ONE LEAVE'LL DO TO TAKE ROOT IN A GLASS OF WATER.SHORTLY YOU'LL HAVE A WONDERFUL LARGE GREEN LEAVED (GOLD/GREEN,WT/GREEN DEPENDANT ON TYPE)TRAILER VINE CIRCLING THE HOUSE.CAN BE HUNG UP OR NOT(AS CAN SPIDERS)





SUCCULENTS





MY JADE TREE IS ABOUT 4FT TALL AND SO HARDY IT SURVIVED BEING THROWN UPSIDE DOWN W/O POT INTO A DUMPSTER FOR DAYS WHEN I FOUND IT I DIDNT HAVE A SPOT/POT FOR IT AND IT SAT OUTSIDE ROOTS HANGING FROM A BROKEN CHAIR SEAT.THEN,BECAUSE TWAS SO MISSHAPEN IT NEEDED A VICE SET-UP I MADE AND RESHAPED JUST FINE IN DAYS.IT ALSO GIVES UP THE BABES IN TRUE EARTH MOMMA FASHION.JUST STICKUM LEAVES INNUM H2O OR NOT...REALLY,IVE CUT SOME OFF BEFORE THINKING THEY WERENT FIT FOR REGROWTH AND FOUNDEM DAYS LATER ON THE SILL ACTUALLY GROWING ROOTS FROM THEMSELVES!





IVE 2/3 MOTHER IN LAW TONGUES THATRE FINE AND HEALTHY TALL STRONG THAT CAME FROM ONE LEAF ID SNAGGED FROM A RESTAURANT POT.PUT THE THING IN WATER.TOOK 8 MONTHS BUT THEN IT DID ROOT!NOW IVE GOT THE 2 OR 3 PLANTS TO PROVE IT!





YER BASIC CACTUS


IVE A 1FOTTER THAT I HADTO BUY SINCE(I SWEAR TWAS ITS DOING)WHEN I PICKED IT UP IT JUMPED OUT OF THE TINY POT.IT WAS ABOUT AN INCH TALL.EVER SINCE THEN ITS THROWN ITSELF OFF THE 2ND STORY SILL SEVERAL TIMES,DROPPED OFF TABLES,LEPT OFF CABINETS-WELL THE THINGS TROUBLE!BUT ITS NOW ALIVE AS EVER!


ANOTHER CAME FROM A RESTAURANT THAT DIDNT WANT IT ANYMORE-IT HAD CURLED ITSELF INTO A FUNNY TWISTY SHAPE THAT WAS EASILY CORRECTED BY SPINNING IT DAILY TO RECIEVE DIFF SUN VIEWS AND A STAKE R TWO.BUT THIS WAS AFTER MY OWN LACK OF POT SPACE FORCED ITS STAY IN WATER THAT TURNED NASTY FOR LIKE TWO WEEKS?ITS GREAT THO AND 4 FT TALL TOO!





GOTTA FEW MORE BUT THATS PROLLY ALL YOU NEED FOR NOW.


I LIVE DIRECTLY DOWNTOWN ABOVE A SHOPE AND SO PRETTY MUCH ALL THE SHOPS WHO HAVE EM(LIKE 3RD PLANET AND PERSEPHONES JOURNEY)IN THE SHOP HAVE MINE,IF NOT THE SHOP OWNERS HAVE MY BABES AT HOME-THATS HOW EASY ROOTING AND CARED FOR THESE THINGS ARE.





IM WRITING THIS CUZ I KNOW HOW YOU FEEL.


AND AGAIN,IVE A HOUSEFULLA THE GREENEES NOW.IF YOU LIVE NEARBY I CAN SET U UP IN SERIOUS STYLE!





LOTSA LOVE N LUCK


-S
Reply:Cosmos when the flower dies off the seeds blow to where ever mother natures takes it and you will have flowers in the most unique places. Allys won't die ask my husband he can't kill it I rather like it. Cosmos really don't like alot of water just as bulbs do not . I never dig up and divide my bulbs I just let them die off and come up where ever they fell like it the next year. Oh yes don't forget the Sunflower mighty strong and happy without a lot TLC just lots of sun .Cottage Gardens is what I enjoy and admire. I say just put it in the garden where ever you like and if its happy you ll know within hours. Oh yes Carnations are rather easy oh try the sunflower first. PS some Gardner's don't plant their new plants out of the container, they just cut a hole around the bottom and stick it in the ground and cover with soil so not to mess with the roots. I have never done it but many a friends have beautiful gardens without the mess I so love. Throw up all around the yard wildflower seed, lightly water, they will find a home one that will require little of your love. Always check flowers before bringing home for bugs!!! Small nursery's is where I like to buy for best quality maybe just a little bit more money, but they won't send bugs home with you can't afford to stay in business that way.
Reply:all kinds of lillies. they are the best. i always get complament and people ask what i give them, my asiatic lillies get over 6ft tall. i don't do anything but water them. if your looking for a bush: burning bushes. Black eyes susans have flowers that last forever.





i would never do potted plants, i kill them all.
Reply:All plants and flowers require upkeep. But here are some that are easy to grow and look lovely.





* Marigolds-grow in any kind of soil (please water all plants)


*Cosmos- best as background flowers. Grow quite tall.beautiful (please water all plants)


* Nasturtiums - grow easily and are kind of viny and look so nice and have a GREAT frgrance! (please water plants)


Just follow instructions on seed pack but you can basically plant them as you wish as long as they have plenty of room and WATER them as often as you can. Nothing hard about growing these. Theyre cheap yet BEAUTIFUL!.oh!! ALso...


* Zenias- (giants are lovely but all are nice) grow easily and are SOOO colorful! most gow quite tall but use them as you wish because theyre so bright and prettty. (please water plants) Good Luck..PS-you dont have to follow instructions exactly. Depends on where you live and the climate. I just dug a space and raked it smooth and scattered in some Cosmos seeds with Nestertiums as a border . Nestertium seeds are about the size of cherry pits so plant them in a row . (please water plants as you can)
Reply:I too suffer from the "black-thumb" illness...I have ferns and an aloe plant and haven't killed them yet...good luck :-)
Reply:You might try getting catuses, or rubber trees if u don't have pets!
Reply:Honestly I'd say a yucca basically you can't kill it...or get rid of it. It gets pretty white flowers on it and is very very hardy...I guess it is made up of 40-50 different species of plants which explains the part of the reason you can't actually kill it without poison. because it has a tuber as its root...when you try and dig it out if you don't get every last piece of it another will sprout up in it's place. My best answer for how to get one is ask your neighbors to dig out a piece for you (I'm sure more than one have heard of it and have it in their yard they'll be more than welcome to spread the yucca wealth) I'd say plant it in the fall and wait for it to come up in the spring it's decently fast growing and usually blooms every year. It may not bloom the first year because it's still getting used to it's new home of sorts. After that just sit back and relax and you'll have a monster in no time...it usually blooms at the beginning of July maybe early June depending on where you live...I think of all the plants I've planted this one you don't have to worry about.
Reply:One or both of two words: plastic, origami.





It's not that I don't trust humans to care for living things; well, except I don't lol ... I just want to make sure that you never feel "forced" to care for whatever plant you choose, and I'd rather that the plant chose you (i.e. you were attracted to the results of taking-care, so much so that you were COMPELLED to study its particular care-method).
Reply:Hello, Mike!!


as to your question, from my experience, I can say that Aloe and Cactus is not demanding so much special care in comparison with other flowers. Have a nice gardening!


Nara
Reply:For outside, you need to know if you are in sun or shade.


For sunny locations, you can't go wrong with daylilies (like Stella D'oro), or coneflowers.





In shady areas, hostas are low maintenance.
Reply:Aloe is wonderful. Water it a ton, then wait a few weeks until it looks like it's about to croak, and then water it a ton again. Not only does the plant respond well to this, but you can get some very nice ointment for sun burns out of it (and make your skin nice and supple!)
Reply:I would suggest artificial ones! having said that as you cannot poosible be worse than myself the plants that have grown best for me are cordylines, just plant them and let them be. Mine started off two years ago at about 6 inches and are now easily 3 and a half feet tall!
Reply:Bamboo all the way! : )
Reply:succulents. lowest maint. plants on earth. and they come in a large and attractive variety, to boot! honestly, you could be the most negligent s.o.b. in the world and still manage to keep these puppies alive, unless you live in a zone which freezes in winter, that is. you don't say your zone. update your info and i might have a different suggestion.
Reply:hastas are the way to go..they like sun or shade and are pretty hardy. i haven't killed my three yet. i let nature take care of the watering. been two months and still growing. oh, they will grow and grow. they take over. good luck.





mine are a green plant with white edging..very subtle and pretty.
Reply:I'm terrible at gardening, too. I have found that in flowers Daylilies are hard to kill, and Crepe Murtles for shrubs are nearly impossible to kill - and they flower all summer in the midwest USA.
Reply:ivy plants are one of the easiest plants to have. you really can't over water them. they will root in a cup of water then you can plant in soil.


wandering jew is another plant that is very hardy, this plant also speads and reproduces even though it's not a blub plant.
Reply:Chrysenthenums...they last forever!!! Not reallly but almost.
Reply:Cactus.





I water once a month, put out in full sun when the weather is fair, and keep inside during rain and at night. They actually tend to thrive better in neglect than with over caring, as the roots are fragile and will rot if over watered.





I purchased these cacti and aloe at my local Walmart. They are all doing well: http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i225/m...





http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i225/m...





Good Luck, TC.
Reply:^Snake plants need some sun and very little water, they are also called mother-in-laws tongue because they never die.