House plants

[ancee]

Do you have any or many? I've been to three diy/garden centres and apart from a few manky orchids they have none! I've been told that they are not fashionable and so the shops are stopping selling them.
BUT there is a massive trend amongst the hip and trendy youngsters for house plants/terrariums/bottle gardens, and they are much sought after in Europe and widely used.
Everything 'retro' is having a comeback it seems from record players to beards!
I think our shops and garden centres here are missing a trick.
I'm trying to find some house plants to set up a bottle garden for me and one for my teenage daughter. She's seen one in a trendy clothes shop (very expensive) so I said I'd make her one.
I've managed to get a small palm a pink dotty one (no label, nobody in the shop with any idea!) and an ivy!

[Guest]

My houseplants tend to get neglected but I love the old fashion ones as they are the ones I remember my Nanny having which you don't seem to have been able to buy easily for years. Mother in laws tongue, money plant, spider plant, christmas/easter cactus, cactus (especially prickly pear and peanut), palour palm, dragon tree and rubber plant.

I know the pink one as a polka dot plant, used to be able to pick them up with others in tiny pots for 50p-£1 when I was little, which was great for baskets and terrariums. Ruddy trends and fashions are a pain.

[noviceveggrower]

I have got a spider plant that my mom gave me. She decided that I needed one for some bazaar reason. It has produced loads of little babies that I have now for some odd reason potted on. So now have shed loads of them on the window sills. Thinking about it I use to have a cat that use to like eating spider plants and she would have a field day here.
I have a peace lily that is flowering. I am very impressed with myself. Usually they just die on me but I have had this one over 12 months and its still alive
I also have a Christmas cactus. Have taken several bits off it to see if I can grow new ones. Have got a load of them taken and they are sat on the window sill with the spider plants.
Kids got me a Flaming Katie for Mothers Day last year and that's still alive. Yet another plant I usually kill within a few months.
The two plants I can not grow are African Violets and Orchids. My sister once bought me a very expensive orchid from M&S. It didn't see 12 months with me
I think houseplants come and go in fashion. They need to be on a show with Alan T, Monty Don or some wacky weird design show then everyone will want one again.

[sparrow100]

I think I must be lucky then - my local garden centre has a nice big section full of houseplants. I've just bought a pink anthuriam from them, which I hope not to kill...I'm not always that good with indoor plants.

I've got 3 others, all fairly long-lived: a peace lily I was given 2 years ago (green flowers only ) an orchid I've had for 9 years which flowers every year and my ivy (Bert) which I bought as a fresher in October 1990...

[Alison]

Loads in the garden centres round here but as you say not much in the DIY sheds. I don't do much in the way of flowering things in the house as OH gets bad hay fever. Do gave a lot of cacti, some ferns, a Mother-in-law's tongue, an over wintering lemon tree and various other odds and sods. Love green and life and have never really been aware of fashions and trends.

[bramble]

Kalanchoe is anothet good on for indoors as it doesnt dry out very easily. You can a pink or yellow flowering onr.

[KevinM67]

Interesting thread - it must be a fashion/fad thing.

In years gone past, at previous houses - we had rubber plants, yucca, and another big monster which I'm wracking my brain trying to remember it's name.

Over the last 10 years - we don't have anything like them anymore (apart from a mucky orchid in the kitchen).

I've never really thought about before.

[JanieB]

I currently have an amaryllis, a pink flowering succulent I don't know the name of and an overwintering chilli plant.

I had a pretty vine for many years that I gained by taking a cutting from a plant at work. It lasted about 20 years in my care and took about 8/9 years to get to any length. It died when my (2nd) mil decided to give it a haircut when I was out at work one day. She chopped it down to 2ins. When I asked her why she said it was unhygienic to have a dangly vine in the house. Considering the amount of both real and silk verbiage she had in her house that was a bit rich.

I also had 2 cyclamen given to me by my fil that I kept for many years and were a fond memory of him as he died not long after he gave me them. They were killed by my husband's girlfriend who was evidently visiting our house whilst I was at work. She overwatered them from the top and they rotted.

I also usually have a selection of herbs growing on the kitchen windowsill but they didn't survive the new kitchen extension, so I need to plant some more.

[Guest]

I had a pretty vine for many years that I gained by taking a cutting from a plant at work. It lasted about 20 years in my care and took about 8/9 years to get to any length. It died when my (2nd) mil decided to give it a haircut when I was out at work one day. She chopped it down to 2ins. When I asked her why she said it was unhygienic to have a dangly vine in the house. Considering the amount of both real and silk verbiage she had in her house that was a bit rich.

That has reminded me. Many years ago I had a rosary vine I don't recall having seen it since for sale. I suddenly feel the need to go to lots of GCs and look at all their houseplants

[Verinda]

I have an orchid with one leaf, it's supposed to be flourishing with lots of pink flowers but oh dear it looks sad. I also have an ancient aloe vera which looks like its struggling, does anyone know how long they live for? Mine is about 14 years old and I want her to live!

I'm a bit of a disaster with houseplants really.

[ancee]

Strange isn't it? My mum used to have an enormous cheese plant and a mother in laws tongue, spider plants all over, dragon palms, yuccas and ferns.
I'd love an asparagus fern but can't find one!
When I first moved out of home my flat mate and I had loads of house plants.
Think this is the only house I've had that doesn't have plants inside. I'm trying to rectify this, but am finding it difficult!
They look lovely inside too.
The ones I got yesterday are just on the kitchen windowsill in a group for now until they are potted up, and my husband, daughter and son have all commented this morning on how nice they look!
I bought new curtains and bedding for my bedroom and my husband hasn't noticed yet - so that is saying something!!!

[ancee]

Have you noticed the trend for plastic and material flowers though? I really don't like them, dust collectors, but they had loads at the garden centres instead of real plants! Why???

[KevinM67]

Cheese plant !!!!

That was the name I was trying to remember.

I got one when my partner and I moved in together. The thing took over the place.

We don't have any big plants anymore - but I can't remember us making a conscious decision no to.

Strange innit ?

[Guest]

Have you noticed the trend for plastic and material flowers though? I really don't like them, dust collectors, but they had loads at the garden centres instead of real plants! Why???

I used to pull the heads of my Nannys fake fuschias and leave them on the floor and tell her they were dying

[bramble]

I think central heating had a lot to do with people not keeping houseplants. They dried out too quickly.