Easy Plants for Your Home Garden

We're sure you've seen all the pictures of people learning how to make homemade sourdough loaves but if you're not one who loves to spend that much time in the kitchen, there are a few other hobbies you can pick up as we continue to shelter in place. 

This week we celebrate Earth Day, a day where we acknowledge the importance of taking care of our environment and giving gratitude for all that nature provides. Why not use this week to turn your thumb from brown to green by starting a small garden at home? Don't let the idea of gardening feel overwhelming; there are a variety of plants that grow easily with just a little bit of care. Besides the obvious beauty that plants and flowers offer, there are studies that show that gardening helps boost our mood, and getting our hands dirty with soil boosts our immune system. Besides, humans need a little sunlight too. 

Here are some of the plants we love that we're sure you'll love too!

Pansies are great for containers, borders, and they offer reliable color almost year-round.

Tomatoes are a lot easier than you might think. Even just one plant can provide you with plenty of fruit throughout the season. You can start them from seed, find starter plants at the nursery, or even purchase hanging baskets if you live in a small space. 

Mint is one of the easiest plants of all. Be sure to keep this in a pot as it's highly invasive. It's the perfect plant for the warmer months; stick the leaves in water for a refreshing change or combine them with club soda, rum, lime juice, and simple syrup for mojitos!

Lavender looks beautiful, offers a wonderful scent, and can also be added to foods and drinks. A lavender lemonade sounds delicious.

Aloe Vera is a succulent and if you are one who forgets to water, succulents are your friend. The added bonus of Aloe Vera is that it also has healing properties. You can snip off a part of the plant to rub on a cut or sunburn to speed up healing.

Arugula and lots of other lettuces grow easily in the ground and in pots. They grow quickly and can be harvested multiple times before they require replanting. 

Happy growing!