YOUR FIRST LITTLE PROJECT
Start with what
you’d love to grow.
Two starting points for each kind of project. Pick one you like, then follow its growing steps.
Something you can pick and eat.
Choose kitchen herbs or salad leaves. Start with one small project outdoors.
Basil
Sweet or Genovese basil
You want fresh leaves to snip while you cook.
A warm, sunny spot. Start with one nursery plant.
- The pot
- 3-gallon pot
- Start with
- 1 nursery start
Spinach
Leaf spinach
You want to grow a small pot of salad leaves from seed.
A sunny spot in a cool growing spell; give afternoon shade as days warm up. Summer heat can make spinach flower early.
- The pot
- 12 × 12 × 12 in.
- Start with
- 8 seeds → 4 plants
The guide gives you the pot, soil, starting amount and first watering steps.
A little color outside.
One flowering nursery plant is enough. Pick the spot before you pick the color.
Snapdragon 'Floral Showers White'; a reference image of the species, not the Snapshot series.
Snapdragon
Snapshot Rose dwarf snapdragon
You want a compact flower pot for a sunny porch.
Best in cooler spring or fall weather; choose the dwarf Snapshot type.
- The pot
- 12 in. wide × 10 in. deep
- Start with
- 1 dwarf nursery plant
Common impatiens flowers; the pictured cultivar is unverified, not a confirmed photograph of Beacon.
Impatiens
Beacon Lipstick Impatiens walleriana
You want flowers for a sheltered, shadier porch.
Choose the Beacon type after frost; keep it out of hot afternoon sun.
- The pot
- 14 in. wide × 12 in. deep
- Start with
- 1 nursery plant
Check the nursery tag for the type named in the guide. The photographs are species references; flower color may differ.
Green beside a window.
Keep the plant in its draining nursery pot to begin. Both choices still need light.
Spider plant
Chlorophytum comosum
You want arching leaves and small plantlets to grow later.
Bright indirect light. ASPCA lists this species as non-toxic to cats and dogs; keep pets from chewing plants.
- The pot
- Keep its nursery pot
- Start with
- 1 rooted plant
ZZ plant
Zamioculcas zamiifolia
You prefer a plant that can dry out between waterings.
Bright indirect light helps growth. Keep it away from chewing pets and young children.
- The pot
- Keep its nursery pot
- Start with
- 1 rooted plant
A dim corner is different from a windowless room. Open the guide for the water check that fits your plant.
Open its growing steps. You’ll find the exact starter setup, a simple water check and a measured feeding plan. You can explore more plants whenever you’re ready.
Browse the complete plant library →Published · Updated
Common questions
I only have a windowsill. What should I grow?+
Start with the indoor route on Choose your first plant, then open a houseplant guide that matches your light. Plant Finder can also shortlist indoor options.
I want something I can eat this season.+
Use the edible beginner route, then pick one vegetable or herb guide and follow its pot size and quantity plan end to end.
Should I start from seed or a nursery plant?+
Beginners often succeed faster with a healthy nursery plant for herbs and houseplants. Seed starting is covered where a guide lists it under other ways to start.
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