So gardening might not be your thing — here are ten easy-to-grow plants (that even you can keep alive).

One of the healthiest and cheapest ways to decorate your house or brighten up your balcony is to fill it with bright and colourful plants. However, not everyone is gifted at keeping those bright colourful plants from turning brown.

We chatted with Eric Rutgers, owner of Everdean Greenhouses and horticulturist about things you should consider when trying to grow plants indoors:

1. What are the conditions like in your place?
For example, if you vacation a lot then you need a plant that takes minimal water or one that can be dormant for a few months. If your house is shady in the morning and full of sun in the afternoon you need a plant that is not particular about its conditions.

2. How much effort do you want to invest in your plants?
If you just want to spruce up a corner in your living room then a plant that requires a lot of pruning and cutting is not a good fit.

The following ten plants are the easiest to keep alive in terms of maintenance (watering, pruning etc.), and durability — no matter what colour your thumb.

1. Cactus

Just put this plant in a sunny or partially sunny room and water occasionally. The only way to kill these desert plants is by over-watering so take it easy with the watering can.

2. Spider Plants

This plant is great for beginners and is reasonably inexpensive. Total and complete neglect is the only thing that will kill a spider plant. A spider plant gives off obvious signs when it is failing — the long green leaves will turn brown at the ends, letting you know it’s time for more water.

3. Black Eyed Susans

These bright yellow flowers with a brown domed centre are the most common wild flower in North America. These forgiving plants can grow in all soil types and prefer direct sunlight.

4. The Super Spike

This is one of the most flexible plants, making it the perfect houseplant for even the worst gardener. Not only does it flourish in most living conditions but it can also handle full sun or complete shade.

5. Pansy

These resilient flowers come in a variety of colours and only require a good soaking of water about once a week.

6. Mother in Laws Tongue (aka the Snake Plant)

This is a popular houseplant since it is tolerant of shade and irregular watering — during winter it needs only one watering every couple of months. “This thick- skinned plant gives the added bonus of being an air filtering plant,” saysRutgers. A great present for those with a black thumb, the snake plant can even tolerate the poor conditions of a dorm room.

7. Devils Ivy

This is probably one of the most common houseplants because it’s incredibly forgiving of lazy care. Devil`s Ivy is also very simple to grow from cuttings (good practice before moving on to more expensive complicated plants). This Ivy can grow very fast, wrapping itself around almost anything, which makes for an interesting decor touch.

8. Shamrock Plants

This plant is happiest in indirect sunlight, which is what most rooms provide. The Shamrock, like the ivy, enjoys a couple months of dormancy. So when you take that winter getaway just make sure someone is there to water it when necessary and it’ll be waiting for you when you return.

9. Ponytail Palm

With its gracefully arching leaves and swollen trunk, this plant adds an exotic touch to any home with only minimal work. Its wide trunk actually holds a lot of moisture, so it can withstand long periods of neglect.

10. Boston Fern

This fern really thrives outside, becoming lush and perky so consider keeping it on your balcony in the summer. “When brought indoors in the winter months, it needs a more strict routine, although not the easiest houseplant, it definitely isn`t difficult to look after,” says Rutgers. Set it in a bright room with indirect sunlight and water it whenever it begins to dry.

Almost no green thumb required to start your own indoor herb garden. What are you waiting for?

Growing your own indoor herb garden is easier than you might think. Plus home grown herbs taste great, are organic (if you want them to be), local (duh) and convenient. Here’s what you need to get started:

Indoor herb gardening tools

- a narrow box that fits on your windowsill (if this box for your balcony you may want to buy brackets to attach to the railing or a box specifically designed to sit on the railing)
- soil (any garden variety will do)
- organic fertilizer
- herb seeds, herb seed kits or herb plants (herbs that grow best indoors are basil, dill, parsley and summer savoury)

When you have all your supplies and a window sill picked out you are ready to plant the seeds. Eric Rutgers, owner of Everdean Greenhouse and horticulturist for 22 years recommends the following steps for successfully planting your herbs in their new home.

1. Pour the soil mix into the container and leave it slightly loose, not too packed down.
2. Make a hole in the soil with your thumb about one inch and a half deep.
3. Drop a couple of seeds of one herb into the hole and cover it again loosely with the displaced soil, then repeat with your other herbs.

Tip: If you know one of your herbs will grow quite tall, like dill, place this herb in the middle. If you know an herb will grow out and spread, like sage, place it on the side of your box so it won’t overwhelm the other herbs. The placement of your herbs in the container can be pretty random as long as you have the right conditions for your group of herbs.

When choosing the right herbs to plant you will want to consider two things:

1. What herbs will you use the most and get the most satisfaction from?
2. Which herbs will thrive in the conditions you have available?

Rutgers stresses that conditions can make or break your herb garden. “The difference between a lush herb garden and just a container of soil can be whether or not your sill is sunny all day or covered by a cloud, or whether you get a light afternoon breeze there or high winds all day,” he says.

Sunlight
Most herbs thrive in sun. In full sun they will grow fuller and taste more flavourful. However four to six hours of sunlight is enough to keep your herbs healthy and delicious. If possible, try and keep your box of herbs a few inches away from the glass in the window so the sun reflecting through does not burn your plants. Keep in mind there are some shade-tolerant herbs that will do better than others with limited sunlight like bee balm, thyme, sage, anise hyssop, chives, and garlic chives.

Water
Herbs grow best in soil that can properly drain — most herb containers will take care of this for you with properly placed draining holes or with a loose gravel or mulch layer at the bottom. If the herbs are over-watered or do not drain properly there is a chance mould will build and suffocate your herbs. But do not wait for the soil to be completely dry before watering them.

Fertilizer
Rutgers recommends only fertilizing the plants after they have grown a few inches. It is at this stage that the plants get the most benefit from the fertilizer.

Prunning
Do not let your herbs go to seed, meaning keep the herb from blooming flowers. When an herb goes to seed it loses most of its distinguishing flavour and becomes bitter. If you see your plant starting to bloom, pluck the flower off. Dead leaves should also be plucked off your herbs along with the blossoms. Continual trimming back of the herb will encourage fuller growth and keep it from going to seed. Most herbs, if cleaned and dried after trimming, will last in an air tight bag or container in your fridge up to six months.