Good Question: What's a No-Brainer For Non-Green Thumb Folks?

Dear AT LA,

I have a small patio that I would love to fill with plants, but I’m no gardener, so everything tends to die. Any suggestions?

Olivia.

Hey Olivia,
We too, are cursed with a lack of a green thumb. We did however (with the help of our gardener pal) recently purchase what we hope will become our pride and joy: a Star Jasmine (also known as Confederate Jasmine, and Trachelospermum jasminoides)

Jasmine grows all over LA, giving off some of the sweetest smells in all of the land. It’s a good climber, too. We love the deep, rich green leaves that make the plant look lush even when it’s not in bloom. Although we have heard conflicting reports, we were told that the jasmine practically grows itself. It doesn’t need huge light and watering is pretty simple.

For what it’s worth, we also love buying Rosemary and Basil. Even if they die off in a month, it still costs the same as buying the $2.00 packets from the grocery store, and what is better than cutting fresh herbs when cooking? Good luck.

Comments (3)

I have a honeysuckle plant that just wont die. Honeysuckle is a lot like star jasmine - it climbs on things and smells great. My old landord chopped most of the plant off that we planted outside our bedroom window when we said we were moving out. We took the pathetic little guy in his pot to our new place. I thought it was a gonnner, but in a matter of days it had new growth, and now, 3 months later, the plant is thriving in a pot on the front porch.

Ficus are also pretty hard to kill.

I have some vacation plant waterers like this: http://www.focuscreations.com/aqwatdev.html that keep the plants alive with out daily watering.

I'm a plant killer but I've managed to keep a few geraniums alive for years now through extremely hot weather on a porch. In fact, I got one of my geraniums by taking a plant clipping and just sticking it in a pot. I would recommend though going to a real nursery and getting a nice one. I also have a spide plant that is hardy, but I don't think they like direct sun. It seems to do better in a bit of shade.

Bulb plants are easy and come in a variety of species. You can get flowers or foilage/ sun or shade. That's how my patio forest started. They can take on any condition.