While possessing a green thumb is a desirable attribute for a gardener, it is by no means essential. Everyone starts with the brown variety and over time gains knowledge and experience in knowing what works and what doesn’t. This means trying things out, but if through ignorance you attempt to grow a plant that needs special care you are likely to be disappointed with the result. So this list of seven easy to grow plants which I found in an article by Tricia Drevets over on Dave’s Garden website should prove helpful.

We all know what it means to have a ?green thumb.? Someone with a green thumb is skilled and successful at gardening. There are a few possible origins for the phrase. One story dates from the days of colonial America. Southern tobacco farmers removed the flowers from their crops in order to increase
We all know what it means to have a ?green thumb.? Someone with a green thumb is skilled and successful at gardening. There are a few possible origins for the phrase. One story dates from the days of colonial America.
Southern tobacco farmers removed the flowers from their crops in order to increase the size and weight of the prized leaves. Farmers used their thumbnails to cut the flower stem in this process, which is called “topping,” and, by doing so repeatedly, they stained their thumbs green.
The Old Farmers? Almanac lists two other possible sources for the term ?green thumb.? One goes back to the reign of England?s King Edward I, who apparently loved peas and gave a prize to the palace worker who had the greenest thumb obtained from hours of shelling peas.
Another possible origin is from the fact that a gardener?s thumb can be stained green from the constant handling of clay pots that are covered with algae and moss.
Whatever its origin, a green thumb is something we want to have as gardeners. We want to achieve success with our plants and to enjoy the fruits of our labor. But what if your thumb is more brown than green? What if — despite your best intentions?your plants struggle and die?
Well, here is a list of seven easy to grow outdoor plants. With these rigorous plants in your garden, you will defy your brown thumb tendencies and gain new confidence in your gardening abilities.
Common lilac (Syringa vulgaris)
Beautiful, sweet smelling and hardy, the common lilac is a natural for the new or struggling gardener. The deciduous shrub-like plants produce lovely large clusters of white, purple or pink spring flowers.
Lilacs can grow up to 20 feet tall and 12 feet wide, depending on the variety. Pruning can help keep them in the size and shape you desire for your garden.
They do well in the sun and can tolerate partial shade in hot climates with regular water. The plants leaves are two to five inches long, are either round or oval in shape and are blue-green or dark green in color.

See the other six plants at Dave’s Garden