House Plants

[Nyboy]

While I love growing flowers in the garden, house plants never appealed to me. When I get a orchid after it stops flowering I give it away, same with any other plants I am gifted with. House plants do you love or hate them?

 

[ninnymary]

I don't have any. They just take up to much work. I've tried keeping orchids after blooming but even those were too much work and I just dump them into the compost bin.

Mary

 

[Chickie'sMomaInNH]

i have better luck with those that rarely flower. so spider plants, some ferns, Christmas Cactus, peace lily seems to do ok but i tend to let them dry out too much. i do have a couple of African Violets, one i've had reflower but it took a couple years to see that happen. they usually die before that happens again. so you could say a love for those that i've been able to keep alive, but a fear that new ones coming in might die because i'm not doing something they like.

 

[HotPepperQueen]

I have two peace lilys that do great and I love them. I also have a big succulent garden that I keep in the center of my table that I love as well. But I also have an aloe and christmas cactus that I could live without. They are so tempermental in MN...

 

[thistlebloom]

I guess I'm not a houseplant person, although I have a few. One is an amaryllis that came from some that my grandma gave my mom and mom passed a few on to me, then we moved cross country and I brought one bulb with me. It has been very patient with me and refused to die.
But generally after a few years they begin to annoy me and I rehome them.
The amaryllis is sentimental so it stays.

 

[Jared77]

I like them but we've got cats and despite our best efforts they still find a way to chew on them and kill them. Makes me crazy. My Dad's big into terreriums so he'll have a couple of aquariums with rabbits foot ferns, some other dwarf ferns and a number of african violets. He's also the person who would ask the janitors to save any amaryllis bulbs that they found (he recently retired from teaching Biology at the H.S.) so he could save them and they'd bloom for him year after year. He had quite the collection, he'd even see one that would catch his eye and ask the teacher to send it to him after it was done blooming if they didn't want it anymore. Was wild to walk in his classroom and look along the wall and see a dozen or so amaryllis in bloom. Always brightened up the winter blahs.

So I've got a soft spot for house plants. Have never tried orchids since I know they'd just end up as a cat toy. Its so bad I can't even bring my wife home flowers (unless they are carnations since the cats dont seem to like them) but roses, or other mixed bouquets? Forget it. I love our cats but its still very frustrating. Maybe one of these years.......

 

[so lucky]

Jared, I used to have that problem, too, with two cats. I could never have fresh flowers in the house. I did find that with big house plants, if you cover the potting soil with the large chunky mulch (hard to find sometimes) they don't like to use it as a litter pan. I would grow wheat or other grass for the cats during the winter, as they didn't go outside much. That lessened the chewing on the houseplants considerably.

 

[lesa]

My office is where most of my house plants are...one of my customers said the other day she "felt like she was in the jungle!" My houseplants are nothing fancy, but they are green and growing- and I tell you they help get me through the winter...

 

[digitS']

It may be of some help for folks with poor house plant histories (me) to suggest some easy-to-care-for choices.

I think the 1st house plant that just didn't puny-out in my care was Sansevieria (mother-in-law's tongue). I don't really care a lot about the plant but it can be green . . . & sit in a corner . . .

I've never been much encouraged to search out others but this is one that I discovered maybe 5 years ago:

This is broad leaf thyme (Plectranthus; Cuban oregano, Mexican thyme). I guess it has some culinary purpose but I've never used it in the kitchen. There is now a variegated type.

The picture isn't my plant. They don't look so wonderful but will soon be okay. If you set them out thru the summer, burying the pot, they may not look so wonderful by fall but they should have good-enuf growing tips. Cutting those and allowing them to grow roots in water, is easy! Then they can be potted up and will grow into nice plants in just a few weeks.

Broad leaf thyme is completely happy in an east or west window thru the winter. I think that is probably the most difficult part of keeping house plants - finding a sunny enuf indoor location. This plant needs very little light. They will be quite large by the time it is safe to set them outdoors again.

Steve

 

[jackb]

We have always had house plants around, bonsai, orchids, you name it, as they help us get through upstate New York winters. My olive trees can tolerate shade during the winter, so I alternate them as house plants. Manzanillo, like the plant below, are a good choice for container growing.