Last January when I was following Apartment Therapy's January Cure, I frequently saw posts about houseplants. I haven't even tried any plants in years after repeatedly killing them off or else they would become infested with gnats and I would chuck them.
To try and learn what I was doing wrong:
Healthy!!!:
And because I have grandkids and cats:
Although, this list doesn't match other lists....It's very frustrating. So much controversy versus poisonous/nonpoisonous! Just don't eat them okay? ;)
As for the gnats, this question generated a lot of comments.
After reading the comments I gather that overwatering causes them and if you DO get them, covering the soil with 1 inch of sand seems to do the trick. I have been really careful about making sure the soil is dry before watering and so far, so good!
After seeing all the houses with such beautiful plants I decided to give it a whirl. Whenever I was at Walmart, Home Depot, or Lowe's I would scope out their plants. I bought some smaller plants and told myself if I kept them alive/gnat free for 3 months I could buy 3 bigger plants.
I have two of these Spider Plants. One here in my bathroom and one in my daughter's room.
On my kitchen window sill I have two plants:
A geranium that's not blooming but still green!
And this Christmas cactus that was blooming so beautifully earlier.
I've actually had this one lone plant for several years.
In my livingroom I have several more plants:
I really like the leaves on this plant (Dracaena Lemon Lime).
This is a succulent (Echeveria) that seems to be desperately trying to get out the window to the sun....
This is a dracaena known as Janet Craig.
And in the family room:
3 more succulents.
On the left is a variety of Snake Plant and then of all things.... a zebra plant. I wanted one of these for awhile because they looked so cool but couldn't find any until one day at Lowe's- I saw one! But it was so dehydrated all the branches and leaves were in a puddle around the pot. I showed it to a garden worker and asked if it would survive and he said he would sell it to me for ONE DOLLAR! He assured me it should survive and he gave it some water and I brought it home and put it on the hearth and then did a Google search on it. Whoa. That is one FUSSY plant!: Zebra Plant Care -Good thing it was only a $1! I haven't even followed all those fussy instructions! And since it's still surviving SOMEHOW for 4 months? Maybe I should cater to it a bit?
Well? They have all stayed alive, and so far (knock on wood!).... gnat free!
In the last few weeks I have so far found two larger plants. Both are dracaenas.
This dracaena's common name is Lisa Cane.
This one is more commonly called a Corn Plant.
"NASA recommends that there should be a six-inch plant for every 100 sq feet of living space." Source
So I have a total of 14 plants- adding in the height of them divided with my house's square feet (1400) brings my ratio to ?????? Hahahahaha! They tried to trick me into doing math with rulers and calculations! But even I can see that I have more plants than needed and any more will just be bonus!
And if I tried to do the math, I would get more confused. I can come up with a number but when I go to recheck it, I always come up with a different one no matter how many times I refigure it. I am very creative with math. ;)
Every once in awhile though, when faced with a math problem- the answer just pops into my head. But I couldn't even BEGIN to explain how I knew it! Brains are such mysterious things.....So if it's not important, forget it- I don't even go through the ordeal of trying.
Math is so not my strong point.
And if I tried to do the math, I would get more confused. I can come up with a number but when I go to recheck it, I always come up with a different one no matter how many times I refigure it. I am very creative with math. ;)
Every once in awhile though, when faced with a math problem- the answer just pops into my head. But I couldn't even BEGIN to explain how I knew it! Brains are such mysterious things.....So if it's not important, forget it- I don't even go through the ordeal of trying.
Math is so not my strong point.