Day 17 Five Plants Everyone Should Grow

1. Aloe Vera- This amazing plant is easy to grow and great for small cuts (of course this is informational only and not for medical advice.) It won't mind if you forget to water it. It will multiply by itself. You just have to re-pot the "babies." Then you can pass on a wonderful gift to someone else.
2. Basil- It is harder to grow, but the leaves are great for use in cooking. The fresh leaves tend to be expensive when bought in the store. The cost of a pack of seeds can be recouped from about two plants.
3. Roses- These traditional garden flowers are just amazing. I recommend avoiding the box store versions. You should consider asking a neighbor for a cutting from their roses. The plants need to be trimmed anyways. There are many books and websites on plant propagation for further information. 
4. Chives- They are simple to grow. I have grown mine in a hanging basket in direct sun for two years. I bring the basket indoors during the winter. Each time I have thought that the plants died, but when spring arrived they bounced back. I break off some of the leaves a little at a time to go onto my salads and baked potatoes. I like the taste along with ranch dressing and bacon bits.
5. Hens and Chicks- These cute little plants also enjoy not being watered often. Recently I saw a website that had these growing indoors in a re-purposed old gutter. I will add the link when I find it again. 

All five of these plants can be grown by anyone who has a window with sunlight. The roses can even  be grown by apartment dwellers because of the miniature ones available now.