Gardening allows us to pick from the diverse range of greenery hanging around the earth under the genus name of several species. What’s more impressive is that the modern gardening world has made it easy for us to propagate, grow, and maintain plants that initially belonged to another continent! Our dream of creating a serene space filled with many colors, greenery, and vibrant vibes is finally so easy to achieve! Whether you wish to grow stunning greenery in your backyard or your urban abode lacks ample space, and it’s the balconies you wish to enhance, we are here with the best plant varieties to assist you in creating a garden straight out of heaven!
How To Choose The Best Plants For Home Garden?
Before diving into the different varieties of popular garden plants available and waiting online for you to pick them up, we should learn about the process of choosing the right plants for our gardens:
1. Area Allocation
Even before thinking about which plants to bring home, what’s important is to take an overview of the landscape where you wish those plants to settle for life. For an outdoor garden, measure the idle area for accommodating greenery, flower beds, and garden borders. If you lack the space for a backyard setup, floor planters are a welcoming option that enables you to introduce greenery outdoors and indoors without a designated space for gardening.
2. Gauge The Soil
Your plants will spend their lives and maintain robust root structures in the plant soil you settle them in, so it is crucial to ascertain whether the soil is up to the mark. Affordable soil testing kits are available online to check the pH levels, which should ideally be manageable and basic. Also, different plant species might flourish in different pH of the soil. Changing the soil’s composition to make it more suitable for a particular specie is also doable. The ground soil is divided into several categories: clay, loamy, sandy, chalky, peaty, silty, etc. Like the pH, the plants' preferred soil types are also subjective.
3. Garden Aspect
Be it the greenery dancing in the backyard or the plants peeking out from the balconies, one crucial point to notice is the direction in which the plants face because this is where the sun steps into the picture. Every plant requires different levels of sunshine to thrive, but if your garden is south-facing, it might receive too much sun, and the plants might catch a sunburn or two. Learn about the garden aspect before picking plants, so you can pick the ones more suitable for the direction they will face at home. Also, planting them outdoors will be a worthless endeavor if they are strictly for indoors.
4. Weather Conditions
This goes unsaid that it is always better to go for the local plantations as they are naturally acclimated to the climate outdoors. Also, if you reside near the sea or your residence falls amidst the tropics, the choice of plants should be in sync with the climatic conditions around you. For example, certain plants only grow in hilly regions, and no matter how hard we try to plant them in subtropical areas, it will be a moot point.
5. Know Your Lighting Spots
As we talked about lighting in the previous topics, some greenery is more in love with the openness of the outdoors and the coolness of the shade, so they look for an environment that is a balanced mix of both. Also, shade varies drastically as we have lightly dappled light and pitch-dark shade, and it totally depends on the plants which one they would like to live in. Similarly, certain plants enjoy the sun's warmth; thus, providing them with a full view of the sun is always better.
6. Propagate In Groups
One incredible virtue of plants is the companionship they offer each other, so when planting, ensure you grow multiples of them, as there is nothing called too much greenery. This won’t only make your garden look more aesthetic, but it will also create harmony among the greenery. Moreover, plants that look surreal in winter often appear more stunning during the hot months, so go for evergreen greenery that stays alive and joyful year-round!
7. Gardener's Preference
Gardening used to be a thing for people who had idle time with them or this is what they did for a living, but as we all know, this is not the case anymore. We see many people engaged in different professions doing gardening chores whenever they get time. Our last piece of advice is to choose plants based on your level of leisure hours, gardening interest, and aesthetic approach. Moreover, greenery should be manageable for your pockets, so pick the ones that are affordable and attractive!
What Are The Top 10 Plants For Home Gardens?
Firstly, let’s talk about the varying varieties of greenery that fall into broad categories:
★ Flowering Plants
This type of greenery is primarily the ones that stay vibrant with the production of gorgeous blooms. These plants often flower during spring and summer; while some die after flowering, others stay dormant until the following season. Some examples of flower plants for gardens are roses, lilies, dahlias, daisies, sunflowers, lotus, etc.
★ Non-flowering Rich-foliage Plants
Not all plants get pregnant with beautiful flowers, but they all look eye-catchy due to their rich foliage. These plants are primarily propagated for their unique and interesting foliage that glows with variegated leaves shaded green, pink, yellow, cream, etc.
★ Palms
If you wish to make a statement in your garden, the palm varieties will be your life savior. These plants either have a noticeably large trunk or multiple shoots peeking out from the soil. Date palms, areca palms, ponytail palms, Washington palms, etc., are some examples.
★ Succulents & Cacti
A personal favorite of fast-paced gardeners, these hardy plants are ideal for people with less time. Succulents & cacti like the jade plant, hoya, aloe vera, etc., are perfect for growing low-maintenance greenery while managing several other chores.
★ Houseplants
If your residence lacks a proper space to set up a backyard or front yard, the best indoor plants will allow you to go green indoors. One may settle such greenery indoors in the living rooms, bedrooms, kitchen windowsills, balconies, etc. Moreover, some of them are also excellent air purifiers!
★ Trees & Shrubs
Although trees take longer to mature into their magnificent selves, they are a famous choice among gardeners for several reasons. For instance, some people prefer them for the shade, while others prefer them for homegrown fruits. Some tree varieties are also known for their medicinal benefits.
★ Herbs & Veggies
There’s nothing more exciting than growing vegetables and herbs at home! These plants permit one to enjoy the natural bounty of the universe through hard work and perseverance. From tomatoes to brinjals to mint to lavender, numerous herbs & vegetables can be easily grown at home!
★ Creepers & Climbers
Every garden is complete with the introduction of delicately beautiful greenery in the form of creeping and climbing vines. These plants for vertical gardens look the prettiest when grown in hanging planters, and one can always train them over walls, trellises, moss sticks, etc., for an aesthetic view!
Top 10 Plants For Your Garden:
Now that we know more about the types of plants we can grow, here’s a list of the must-have plants to propagate in your garden. We suggest that gardening perfectly balances all the plant categories so that the area looks aesthetically pleasing and the garden doesn’t become tiring.
#1 Garden Roses
The garden rose is one of the most sought flower plants for home gardens in India. This plant comes in several varieties and colors, so one can actually plan the shades one wishes to see in the garden. It will ask the gardener to stay attentive throughout the journey, but the results will be worth the wait!
#2 Ficus
Although ficus is a broad genus of several tropical plants, it is well-known and quite popular in the Indian subcontinent. These plants will embellish a sense of greenery in the environment with their happy-go-lucky foliage. One may grow them in terracotta pots for a rugged look or directly into the soil!
#3 Hibiscus
Did you know that the tea brewed from hibiscus flowers is highly beneficial for skin and hair health? Growing hibiscus at home is pretty simple, as the plant is flexible enough to adapt to the atmosphere. It produces colorful blossoms in white, orange, and red shades, requiring well-draining soil that stays moist but doesn’t cause waterlog.
#4 Areca Palm
It is one of the most favorable palm varieties in the Indian subcontinent, as it instantly adds a tropical vibe to any ambiance. Easy to care for, this palm grows well with nourished soil, partial lighting, and regular hydration. Clump its multiple shoots together for a neat & clean appearance of its flow-ey foliage!
#5 Araucaria
This plant will make you wonder whether it is the Christmas tree, but let us break it to you that it is not. A close cousin of the Morpankhi plant, it grows with a straight stem that spreads with further branches. The araucaria carries fern-like leaves that stay dark green and give a fur-like impression. Place it at an outdoor location receiving partial light and wait for it to rejoice with health!
#6 Aloe Vera
Aloe is one of the most low-maintenance plants belonging to the succulent category. This plant is super easy to propagate and maintain, requiring minimal care and maintenance. It is also an elixir for people with chronic skin issues, as the sap from its thick leaves can cure several skin irritations, allergies, acne, etc. Some people also prefer to make it into a beverage to boost their immunity and get a natural glow!
#7 Money Plant
Lying somewhere in the middle of a water plant, a creeper, and an air-purifying houseplant, it has more benefits than one! The money plant grows gracefully into a vine-like appearance with some external support. One may also grow it in a flower vase filled with water indoors and in plastic pots outdoors. Being a lucky plant, it is also a favorite of the Vastushastra and Feng Shui curators.
#8 Orange Trumpet Vine
As the name suggests, this plant is a climber that grows with orange flowers shaped like a trumpet. Its bright green foliage effortlessly complements its eye-catching blooms, and the whole plant looks like a piece of scenery! This plant might need a bit of care, but it will grow quite fast into the beauty that it is! Once propagated, you will often find yourself meditating on its beauty.
#9 Bougainvillea
Looking for a flowering plant that takes negligible care to flourish with charming blooms? Bougainvillea is your answer. This plant is almost considered an invasive specie due to its love for growth. It adapts to most environments and flourishes into a shrub or a climber, depending on how it’s planted. The good news is you can contain its growth by pruning it regularly using a branch cutter.
#10 Snake Plant
A very fuss-free plant specie, the snake plant is a must-have for all gardeners across the country! This plant has several varieties due to its growth inclinations and foliage variegations. Overall, it appears as a thin succulent that grows erect with dark-green foliage, carrying colorful variegations! This plant is suitable for indoors and outdoors, where it receives filtered light and adequate hydration!
Gardening is a fun and therapeutic activity that allows us to stay closer to nature and enjoy the views and scents that come along! Endless species are available on online gardening markets like ours so that you can entail this artistic journey from the comfort of your home!
FAQs About Top Plants For A Garden
Ques: Is Container Gardening Better?
Ans: One may propagate plants in the soil and containers as per choice. However, with containers, moving the plants whenever needed becomes easy.
Ques: How To Take Care Of My Plants?
Ans: Although every plant has varying prerequisites, offering them adequate light, well-nourished soil, regular hydration, timely fertilization, and once-in-a-while trim sessions is the general rule.
Ques: How To Protect Plants From Pests?
Ans: Plants are like a magnet for insects, and one should protect them from pest attacks before they die due to them. From insecticides like neem oil to natural pesticides, several remedies are available on the net to safeguard your greenery!
Ques: Should I Overwinter My Plants?
Ans: Some plants are hardy species that can fight the freezing temperatures during the winter; others might take their last breath in a similar situation. Gauge your plant’s differences and, accordingly, either shift them to a warmer spot or cover them with protective blankets.
Ques: What Are The Best Plants For Your Home?
Ans: Plants like ficus, dracaenas, palms, fruit trees, succulents, etc., are excellent options for home gardens.