Step 1: Buy a plant.
That's it. No fancy fertilizers, expensive soils, or expert knowledge needed. When you first buy a plant, whether it's for the house or the garden, you have made a commitment to that plant to try your best to raise it. It's your time to learn.
I've heard the phrase, "I'm not a green-thumb," many many times. Well guess what, I wasn't either. The first garden I ever helped with ended in a graveyard of vegetables. I didn't know what I was doing! Snap peas, Brussels sprouts, and lemon cucumbers were among the deceased. But, that small experience alone is what helped cultivate me into a better gardener.
Each plant that you accidentally kill is just another chapter to add to your plant book of knowledge! Think of it as an experiment! You tried, it was fun, something went wrong, but that's okay! Try again! This time, think about what might have gone wrong? Too much water? Too little sunlight? Pests? And buy another plant! If it dies, do it again. And again. And again. Don't let what you think is a lack of a green-thumb keep you from trying to learn how to raise a plant.
Even if you add up months or years of plants dying on you, if you are actively thinking about how your plant's environment is affecting it, you are a green-thumb!
Become a Green-thumb Now
Start with Succulents
If you want to try being a plant parent with no experience whatsoever, a great, cheap option are succulents! They're great for the garden and the house!
Smaller succulents can be found for less than $5 at Home Depot, Trader Joe's, or your local garden center. They can be very hardy, but also expendable for beginners! They are also great for learning how to propagate. One plant can bring forth up to 10 or even 20 daughter plants.
Talk to Garden Center Employees for Help
Google and Pinterest can be overwhelming with information on growing plants. It's easy to have a defeatist attitude after scrolling for an hour and not retaining any of what you read. A great resource for plant info are the employees at the garden center!
They know how to give you a quick and accurate answer to your questions. And don't be embarrassed to ask! I used to hide from asking employees questions because I was afraid of seeming ignorant. I've gotten over that now! Trust me, they've heard every question out there. Admit that you've never owned a plant. Admit if you don't know what a fertilizer does or how a plant gets its food! Ask them everything. I guarantee they'll be happy to answer it for you!
Be Willing to Learn
While its fine to approach a plant as only being a decoration, you have to be aware that it is a living organism that will do its own thing. If you don't respect it and think about its needs, your experience will be miserable! It may die or it may have brown spots and still be perfectly healthy.
Be willing to compromise with the plant. Be willing to learn how it grows, eats, and breathes. Don't throw away an aloe vera plant with one brown leaf just because it doesn't look aesthetically pleasing. Try to learn why it has that brown leaf and if there's something you can do to save it without throwing it away completely. Be open!
What is your experience with raising plants? Have you ever felt like giving up? Answer in the comments below!