I have not always had a green thumb. Even still I have to really work at keeping a regular watering schedule and moving these guys around until they find their happy place in the house. And some of them are pretty picky. I mostly stick with hardy tough to kill plants, because high maintenance is not my game. Some of the plants I’ve brought home didn’t make it… but you live and you learn, and I’ve learned what type of plants I can keep alive. Now, not only am I keeping plants alive, they are thriving. As in getting bigger, sprouting other little babies… Makes a momma proud. Keep reading for my plant care tips for beginners!

Below I have listed the plants that I have in my house currently, how I keep them alive, and which ones are my favorites (don’t tell the others).

This is the snake plant, also known as mother in laws tongue. It is one of my favorites, and one of the first plants I was ever able to keep alive for longer than a month. If you’re like me and don’t have a natural green thumb, this is a great plant to start out with. You pretty much can’t kill it. I think for a while there I only remembered to water it like once a month, and here she stands. This lil lady is the one that spurred me on to try out more plants in my home. I always loved the look of having plants around, and it can really make a space feel alive and give it some character, but I didn’t want to be a plant murderer.

The two above are Sansiveria, just different types. Don’t ask me to explain the different types of specie variants, I do not know. When I go to my local green house, I ask a lot of questions about how to care for the different plants, and what type they are, but that’s the extent of my knowledge. This plant is amazing and extremely hardy. It requires very little water, and can survive in low light or bright indirect light. I haven’t found a spot in my house that it doesn’t like. Another great one for beginners, since its stubborn and refuses to die.

Ok I don’t know the name of this plant. I just know that if you see one while you’re out and about, grab it. Its extremely hardy, requires low water, and likes the bright indirect sunlight spots in my house best. You can even see a knew little baby sprouting up! I’m so proud. This is potted in fast draining soil, meaning when I water it, the water starts coming out of the bottom almost immediately. I don’t give it much water at once, and it drains well so the plant doesn’t get water logged.

All three of these are a mix between low and medium maintenance. These are not plants I would start out with as a beginner. They are low maintenance in the sense that they each require low water, and aren’t going to wilt and die if you accidentally miss a watering (or two). But I had to find the perfect spot for each of these in the house because they are some fickle little bitches. They all like bright light, some direct light, but mostly indirect light. The one on the left is a pencil cactus and it is my favorite. THE favorite. This one in particular I had a hard time finding a spot that it liked. I moved it around several times before I found a spot that it started thriving in. The one in the middle is a succulent, and again the low water is easy, but it likes bright light. The far right is an aloe plant and another favorite. Its hard to kill, low water, but likes bright light. This one struggled for a bit until I found the right mix of light for it to be in, then boom.

This little guy is  Dracaena Marginata, and has required a bit more work. If I miss a watering, you can tell immediately, but once you give it a little water it perks right back up. This one I have also had to find the right spot in the house for. Low light works, but if you can find an area that has a bit brighter indirect light, that’s where mine has done best. I water it once a week and give it enough water that it runs out of the bottom.  I also have a larger one of these, and that one is struggling a tad right now. But their hardiness is great, and they wont keel over on you right away. Just keep trying different things until you find what works for it.

The one on the right is a ponytail palm, and I love it. Another favorite. This one for me ranges more in a bit of the medium maintenance category, simply because I had to move it around a bunch until I found a place in the house that it liked. It requires low water, soil that drains well, and bright indirect light. The little guy on the left is another of the same one that I don’t know its name. When I say bright indirect light, that can vary. Some plants that require bright indirect light can live ten to fifteen feet away from a window or door that lets in light, and some need to be right next to that window. The ponytail palm is one of those that does better close to the source of indirect light. At least that has been my experience.

This large and in charge beauty is a monstera plant. Third favorite. This one is funny, because I would consider it low maintenance, but it is struggling a tad right now. Its been dropping leaves and I am not sure why. I think it might be stressed out (yes, that totally happens to plants). Before I moved, this plant lived in a place where it was about twelve feet from its source of indirect sunlight, and it did really well there. However monsteras typically like to be near to their source of indirect light. In the new house, I have it by my front door which gets tons of indirect light for most of the day, and it seems to not be doing as well. I water this one regularly once a week (or when the top inch of soil feels dry), and give it enough water for it to run out of the bottom. A few of the other plants I have not pictured here are also struggling, and I think they are a tad stressed from the move. Some plants that are more fickle don’t like to do a lot of moving around or adjusting to new environments, I have learned.

I developed a watering schedule which is really what has helped me in learning what the plants need to thrive. I water on Wednesdays for most of the plants, and some that require less, I will water every other week.

I hope these plant care tips for beginners has helped a little, for anyone who would love to have plants in their home, but tends to kill them more times than not. That used to be me. There is hope for you too.