Great Escape: Find Your Green Thumb

In the short time I've been alive, I've dabbled in several attempts to plant things in the ground and make them grow. Unfortunately, I kind of secretly wish they'd just pop up on their own, which they don't always want to do.

If you're like me and occasionally feel that gardening can be more of a burden than cathartic (especially with a busy mom's schedule), not to worry.

has a new "Grow Your Own" vegetable and herb line, which includes everything you need plus some tips of the trade to make your garden a success.

The store also offers many different seed starter packets for you to choose from. But which ones are the best, meaning, which ones won't die right away?

Your best bet is to choose anything that is a perennial, which means it comes back on its own year after year. Perennials can withstand various weather conditions and be just fine. 

Here are some fabulous choices for easy to grow, not to worry flowers and vegetables. An added bonus is that these picks are great teaching tools for kids, so when you're feeling confident enough to throw on some overalls and chew a piece of hay, have the family join you.

Flowers:

• Black-eyed Susans — A perennial, these beauties come back every year and boast a purplish-brown 'black eye' center and vibrant yellow petals.
• Coneflowers — These are found growing naturally in fields and prairies with light purple petals and a spiny central disk.
• Shooting Stars — Also a perennial, these are fascinating flowers with a leafless stem and pink-purple colors. Also known as American Cowslip, Mad Violets, Sailor-caps and Mosquito Bills.
• Sunflowers — Save the seeds you were eating and plant them! 

Vegetables:

• Tomatoes
• Lettuce
• Radishes
• Green beans
• Sugar snap peas

Why? Because they're so easy to grow and so delicious.

Another tip is that if you want to plant vegetables, add some marigolds to the mix. Marigolds have an unappetizing smell to rabbits and squirrels so the flowers will keep your garden safe.

Happy gardening!