I love houseplants. I’ve mentioned here before that I’m close to becoming the cooky woman with the house full of plants, but my 20 or so plants have slowly dwindled down to 6, putting me outside of crazy territory but seriously close to my all time low-plant record. These past few months have been busy, yes, but what’s even more unusual is that I’m not replacing the dead plants. I have dead plants in pots in my house. I have dead plants in pots in my house and I’m not being ironic or preparing for Halloween.
I went to Lowes and bought a few succulents and a spider plant, a plant I’ve wanted for years for it’s air purifying abilities. Unfortunately, I lost track of how many dead plants in pots I have sitting around the house (shameful) and need to go back and buy at least two more.
But for now, I’m happy with my cooky corner of plant-lady goodness.
Do you still have that fiddle leaf fig? It was spectacular!
I, like you, would love to have beautiful and healthy plants throughout my house but alas, we have only one south-facing window and the table in front of it all but blocks the sun from US getting it all winter because of all the plants on it! I am determined for that not to happen this winter. However, I can tell you that your succulents will die a slow death if you don’t do two things: 1. Put them in front of a very bright window (i.e. south-facing) — they would even actually prefer to be under lights on a light table, but that might just be here where I live, b/c the winter months can be so dreary; and 2. water them throughly by sitting their pots in a sink full of tepid water until they have taken up all they can, then letting them drain. Do this once a month and they won’t dry out. A strange thing since we think of succulents as not ever really needing water…
The spider plant will probably live through the apocalypse; but I would probably take it in the shower once a week and give it a good rinse and water. You could also give both of them some nice mild organic fertilizer (ie. fish emulsion) — I do that half-strength every two weeks or so during the winter months (double during the summer). (Yes, I am a horticulturist and had a plant store where I sold all manner of houseplants…) One of the plants I have been able to keep successfully (miraculously!) is a six foot tall bay laurel standard! I know, I’m even shocked.
Yes, I still have the fiddle leaf fig! One stalk dried up on me, but the rest are doing fine!
I had the succulents under a west facing window, and I think it was too much for them. I also didn’t water them as much as I should have. In that same window I also killed a jade plant. My sansevieria, cacti, and another succulent are all doing fine for over a year. Go figure.
That little table sits in a SE corner with the fiddle leaf fig.
You’ve kept the bay laurel standard alive indoors?! Hats off to you!!
I’ve been on the fence for the last few months about house plants. I want a few – I have a south facing bay window in my living room that would be lovely for a little green in the winter months – but I’m decidedly NOT a green thumb (I once ripped out a whole section of beautiful garden to plant grass so it would fall under my husband’s jurisdiction and not my own) so I don’t even know where to begin. Any advice?
I can grow things in the ground, but not in pots. I’ve no idea what the difference is, but I’m good at plant-killing when it’s indoors. C’est la vie. I admire those who try.
The spider plant will have babies…..soon you will have enough for all over the house!
I have 3 happy plants in my family room, but also killed a couple of smaller succulents pretty quickly. I don’t know what happened: too much water, or not enough, or maybe it was too dim, with the blinds closed in the living room to keep out the heat these past 2 months? I feel bad. Poor victims.
And you’d have to get a LOT more plants to be in kooky-lady territory!