Plant profiles
What a plant needs, in one screen
Light, water, spacing, hardiness zones, harvest timing and difficulty for the vegetables, herbs and houseplants people ask about most — plus the specific mistake that kills each one.
Tomato
Solanum lycopersicum
The most-grown vegetable in home gardens, and the one most improved by consistent water and a cage or stake set at planting time.
EasyLettuce
Lactuca sativa
A fast, forgiving crop that bolts to seed in heat, so timing and shade matter more than soil fertility.
EasyBasil
Ocimum basilicum
The most temperature-sensitive common herb — it sulks below 10°C and needs regular pinching to stay leafy rather than flowering.
EasyCourgette (Zucchini)
Cucurbita pepo
Notoriously prolific once established — the challenge is rarely growing it, it's using the harvest fast enough.
ModerateCarrot
Daucus carota
Grown from seed directly in loose, stone-free soil — the single biggest cause of forked or stunted carrots is compacted or rocky ground.
ModeratePepper
Capsicum annuum
Slower and more heat-loving than tomatoes — cold soil at transplant sets peppers back for weeks even if they survive it.
EasyBean (Bush & Pole)
Phaseolus vulgaris
One of the few vegetables that improves the soil it grows in, fixing nitrogen through root nodules for the next crop.
EasyStrawberry
Fragaria × ananassa
Shallow-rooted and mat-forming — mulch and runner management matter more than feeding for a productive bed.
EasyLavender
Lavandula angustifolia
Fails far more often from overwatering and poor drainage than from cold — the classic Mediterranean plant that wants to be neglected.
ModerateHydrangea
Hydrangea macrophylla
Bloom colour on mophead types can be shifted by soil pH, and pruning timing depends entirely on which type you have.
EasyRosemary
Salvia rosmarinus
A woody Mediterranean herb that thrives on neglect outdoors but is the most commonly killed houseplant when overwintered indoors — usually by overwatering.
EasyMonstera
Monstera deliciosa
Famous for its split leaves, which only appear once the plant has enough light and a structure to climb — a monstera on the floor with no support stays smaller and less fenestrated.
EasyPothos
Epipremnum aureum
Arguably the most forgiving houseplant sold, tolerating low light and irregular watering better than almost anything else grown indoors.
EasySnake Plant
Dracaena trifasciata
A near-succulent that stores water in thick leaves, making overwatering — not underwatering — the only real threat.
AdvancedFiddle Leaf Fig
Ficus lyrata
Beautiful but notoriously fussy — it drops leaves in response to any sudden change in light, temperature, draught, or watering routine.
EasyPeace Lily
Spathiphyllum wallisii
One of the few houseplants that tells you exactly when it needs water by drooping visibly, then recovers fully within hours of a drink.
EasySunflower
Helianthus annuus
A fast, tall annual that tracks the sun as a seedling and stops moving once flowering begins — the classic beginner flower with a real taproot to respect.
EasyZinnia
Zinnia elegans
One of the most reliable cut-and-come-again annuals, let down almost only by powdery mildew from overhead watering in humid weather.
EasyMarigold
Tagetes patula / erecta
A tough, pungent-scented bedding plant widely interplanted with vegetables, though its pest-repelling reputation is stronger in folklore than in controlled trials.
EasyCucumber
Cucumis sativus
A vigorous vine best grown vertically to save space and keep fruit clean — inconsistent watering is the main cause of the bitter taste gardeners blame on the variety.
EasySpinach
Spinacia oleracea
A cold-hardy leafy green that bolts fast in heat and long daylight, making early spring and autumn sowings far more productive than a summer attempt.
EasyKale
Brassica oleracea var. acephala
One of the most cold-tolerant vegetables grown, sweetening rather than declining after frost and providing a harvest window most crops can't match.
EasyGarlic
Allium sativum
Planted in autumn rather than spring in most climates, garlic rewards patience over almost a full year and punishes wet, poorly drained soil at harvest time.
EasyPotato
Solanum tuberosum
Grown from seed potatoes rather than true seed, and the single habit that most affects yield — hilling soil over the stems — is also the one most gardeners skip.
ModerateBlueberry
Vaccinium corymbosum
Demands genuinely acidic soil to take up nutrients at all — more plants fail from ordinary garden soil pH than from any pest or disease.
ModerateRaspberry
Rubus idaeus
A spreading perennial where pruning strategy depends entirely on whether the variety fruits on this year's canes or last year's — get it backwards and you cut off the harvest.
ModerateBoxwood
Buxus sempervirens
The classic clipped hedge and topiary shrub, slow-growing and long-lived but increasingly at risk from boxwood blight and box tree caterpillar in many regions.
EasyHosta
Hosta spp.
The reliable backbone of shade gardens, let down almost entirely by slugs and snails rather than any cultural difficulty of its own.
EasyEcheveria
Echeveria spp.
A rosette succulent that stretches and loses its tight shape in low light — the single most common complaint about a plant otherwise very forgiving of neglect.
ModeratePhalaenopsis Orchid
Phalaenopsis spp.
The most commonly sold houseplant orchid, epiphytic by nature — it needs airy bark mix and roots that dry out, not ordinary potting soil.
EasyZZ Plant
Zamioculcas zamiifolia
Stores water in thick underground rhizomes, making it one of the most drought-tolerant common houseplants and one of the easiest to accidentally overwater to death.
AdvancedJapanese Maple
Acer palmatum
Prized for delicate, often red or lace-cut foliage that scorches badly in hot afternoon sun or dry wind — placement matters more than any other single decision.