I'm a Houseplant Junkie

Yes.. I'll admit it.. I'm a "Houseplant Junkie" who can't get enough of them! No matter what store I go into whether it be a Home Depot, Lowe's or even my local Shop-Rite, I always seem to meander over to the 'floral' department just to see 'what's new'.  When I travel to Home Depot or Lowe's with my husband we will often get separated and the code word or 'department' to find me in is "houseplants" where I'll rescue one - two - OK, I'll fess up, the last time I was there I did buy FOUR new plants, but they were small, and I was looking to fill a certain narrow windowsill. Yes, my trip was successful, however, there were no tags in them so it's any one's guess what they are except, "beautiful to me".

I am so obsessed with them that I even propagate them to make more! Pothos and Ivy are great volunteers for such a purpose as they literally have new roots appearing monthly just waiting to set foot and start anew! I have started them in water or just by sticking them in a new pot of soil. Notice I wrote 'soil' not, 'dirt' as the word 'soil' sounds better than dirt, plus soil, has more nutrients in it than plain ole' dirt.

Whenever my husband comments on another 'new aquisition' I will always remind him of the benefits of houseplants. Such as:

• They brighten up a room with living energy and color.
• They help to keep the air in the room clean. No doubt cheaper than an air purifier!
• They make people calmer and more optimistic.
• Believe it or not there was a study done in the University of Agriculture in Norway that found that houseplants can reduce fatigue, coughs, sore throats and other cold related illnesses by more than 30 percent! Of course, if you search on the Internet enough you'll find a study to support any reason to spend money.

Some of my indoor plants are not 'technically' considered 'houseplants' but during the winter, I bring them inside and keep them thriving so that by next Spring, I can put them back outside. Typically, all houseplants are considered to be tropical in nature, but these two are especially so and I am thrilled that they have accepted my care for them while on this indoor sabbatical. 

Passion Flower
How I do love this plant when it's in full bloom in mid summer. The flowers are so intricate and will often have a light, pleasant scent. When I brought this plant inside it was half the size that it is now. You'll note it's the plant in the middle of this photo with the homemade branch trellis. Needless to say I'm "passionate" about this plant!

Australian Tree Fern

This big boy is everything that the tag said it was going to and more! I have fallen in love with this specimen and love the fact that it keeps producing wonderful fronds every two weeks.

They unfurl out of the center of the plant and just keep unraveling until a large beautiful frond appears.
When I wake up in the morning and look at this plant, I can't help but say, "G'day Mate"!

In case your wondering, I have a majority of my houseplants including my two tropicals in a very well lit room which receives sun from almost every direction during the day.

Ever try putting houseplants in a terrarium? It's a cool idea and looks great too! I love cyclamen and smaller ferns in them as they love the humidity.

My latest addition to my houseplant addiction is actually my most beloved plant as it was given to me by my mother who received it from her mother. This plant came all the way from Germany as a small cutting. Low and behold it is a Hoya plant which is a very slow growing plant as you can see by the size of this plant which is now well over my age of 47!

If you're a "Houseplant Junkie" like me, I have two links for you to further your addiction. 

One is a blog called "Plants Are the Strangest People" 

The second website that I've purchased several houseplants from online with great success called "Hirts Gardens"

To end this post here's a picture of a bud that's going to open soon.. Can you guess what it is?