Taking care of plants can be hard, especially if you have a full-time job or travel a lot. That’s because plants require care from you at odd times, and if they aren’t taken care of well, they result in withering or dying.
Even at home, it’s easy to forget that plants need care. As a result, the plants are left to survive in nature. If you’re lucky, rain and sunshine will work miracles, and the plants have enough water and food to survive. If not, they will die of starvation and dehydration.
That is the nature of life. However, what if you get beautiful plants that are hard to kill for your garden? Those that can withstand harsh conditions. I mean, once you plant it, it’s left alone and still becomes strong and can reproduce.
Don’t worry, and I am going to highlight the plants that are capable of surviving on their own. Whether you are busy or not, you don’t have to worry.
Ajuga (Bugleweed)
Ajuga is best for a backyard with low sunlight. It has blue-purple spikes during the spring and then grows dense foliage the rest of the season. This plant loves to mature under shade.
It is a small plant that smoothers weeds through the ground, adding color to the garden. It also helps to control soil erosion. You don’t need to maintain this plant because it can survive with minimal supervision. However, it can spread through the garden if you don’t trim it. Or, you can close the garden through edging to ensure it does not spread to unwanted areas.
Cast-Iron Plant
The plant can work both outdoors and indoors. It doesn’t require too much lighting because it can do well in low-light areas. Also, it can thrive in places with high and low temperatures.
Try this plant if you have a house with too much heat; most plants don’t survive that heat. It is made to handle any condition thrown into it.
Chives (Allium schoenoprasum, A. tuberosum)
Chives are a species from the onion family with edible flowers. It’s a perennial plant and an excellent companion to keep away pests. Since they are perennial, they can grow during the cool and cold seasons but should be planted during the summer or early summer.
These garden plants are hard to kill, so you should be careful because they can take over the garden if they develop fully. The best part is that if it starts spreading through the garden, you can dig it out and move or throw it away.
It can grow well in an area with full sun or light shade, fertile, moist, and well-drained soil.
Sedum (Sedum spp., Hylotelephium spp.)
Sedum is another hard-to-kill plant capable of surviving in hardy zones. It’s a perennial plant and blooms well in the summer and fall. It has different varieties for you to choose from for your garden.
It has thick, succulent leaves, fleshy stems, and star-shaped flowers. These features enable it to store food used during the cold season. It is good to plant it in the summer to ensure it makes enough food to sustain it for the winter.
It grows well in sandy soils with good drainage but can’t grow well in soil with moisture or soil rich in nutrients. On the other hand, its flowers are good for pollination, which is good for the garden.
Geraniums(Pelargonium spp.)
Geranium is an indoor plant that requires exposure to the sun to grow well. It’s among gardeners’ favorite plants because it is easy to grow, colorful, and produces a good scent. Most people keep this plant outdoors but bring it indoors during winter. However, with enough light through the window, they can grow indoors.
So, to grow well indoors, they require temperatures of 65-70 degrees F during the day and 55 degrees F at night. Ensure that you plant them during summer when there is a lot of sunlight—also, a pot with well-draining moist soil. Ensure you mulch to protect moisture from evaporating.
This plant is easy to take care of because it only requires water once in a while when the soil is dry and fertilizing when necessary. When you water, add water into the soil to avoid overhead watering because it can lead to pests and diseases.
Aloe
Aloe is the most used plant for medicinal purposes. The plant requires minimal care to survive and, at the same time, prefers dry garden soil. Thus, you can water it twice a month.
It is best suited for dry conditions because of is succulent and stores food in its succulent stems. When you plant it in a pot, ensure the pot has holes for drainage of extra water because it can’t grow in standing water. Also, ensure the soil is dry before you water it.
At the same time, you don’t need to fertilize aloe, but if you decide to add fertilizer, ensure it is done once a year and in the spring.
Philodendron
Philodendron is another good plant that can be used as a natural fence for your home or placed on hanging baskets. Most people use it to bring beauty to their homes.
The plant is easy to care for because it shows signs of what it needs and easily adapts to the conditions in the area. If you are planting it indoors, ensure that you flush out the soil once in a while with fresh water and clean the leaves.
The plant can survive without much care, but you should place it in a place with sunlight.
Snake Plant
The snake plant is the most tolerable and would be one of the frontrunners if you need an indoor plant. Even if you neglect it for weeks, it can still look fresh. Also, it can survive low light, drought, and pests and diseases.
Researchers at NASA found that the plant can keep the air inside the house clean by removing toxins like formaldehyde and benzene.
The plant grows well in draining soil and indirect sunlight. It’s better to have draining soil to prevent water from stagnating at the top. Once the leaves have developed, propagate them by cutting or dividing.
Spider Plant (Chlorophytum comosum)
The spider plant is another one that can adapt to the home surroundings to grow without much care. It can grow in harsh weather conditions and suffer a few problems, such as brown tips.
It is named the spider plant because it tends to move down from its mother plant like a spider on a web. Caring for this indoor plant is easy even for new gardeners. All you need is soil with good drainage, indirect sunlight, and cool temperatures. It enjoys temperatures of around 55 to 65 degrees F.
English Ivy(Hedera)
English Ivy is a hard-to-kill plant that many people have tried to remove from their garden and failed. It has creepy tendrils that spread through the garden, the fence, and the sheds. Once you think about this plant, ensure that you are aware it might be hard to remove it in the future.
The best way to plant ivy is by putting it in a pot. This way, you keep it contained with the soil in the pot. Then you can place it indoors or outdoors to reap benefits. You can use the tendrils for privacy on your patio or deck.
Conclusion
I hope you have found the type of plant you are looking for in your garden. Choosing the right plant will take a long way when you are away from the house. Be sure to consider the different aspects of your home, such as sunlight or shade, before you choose a plant because it also needs one or two things to grow on its own. You can’t just place a plant that requires shade in the sun and expect it to grow without dying.
