Friday 11 January 2013

Killing House Plants



I would love to have a house full of plants, an inside garden of ferns and luscious palms and hanging baskets, but there's a problem.  I keep killing them.  I thought it was the house, but then we moved and all the indoor plants I bought continued to die, slowly but surely.  Maybe its this house too?
My sister in law, she has plants all over her place.  Every room has a different species of flowering succulent or floor to ceiling potted palm or breathtaking Fatsia Japonica.   I have a brown, dead, parlor palm on top of the toilet that you can lift out of the pot with all the soil attached.

Don't get me wrong I do have a green thumb.  I'm a great gardener when it comes to outdoors.  Right now I've got four different strains of tomato, two types of zucchini, cucumbers, climbing spinach, spring onions and lettuce growing in the veggie patch. All of which I raised from seed.  My green thumb just turns brown as soon as I walk in the front (or back) door.

So it was with great fear and trepidation that I thanked a friend who gifted me with a little Hoya Bella beautifully potted in an old tin . . . WHICH SHE GREW HERSELF FROM A CUTTING!
Hang it inside in a window where it will get lots of light but no direct sun.  These were her parting words.  I am now living in fear. I don't want it to die, but I feel like its fate is already sealed.

Its been sitting in a window, getting lots of light but no direct sun.  On Sunday it started to look a little droopy. On Monday some of the leaves started turning yellow. On Tuesday I started to pick leaves that had fallen off out of the tin. Is it in a drafty spot? Am I watering it too much? Am I not watering it enough? Is the soil wet?  No, I can't tell by sticking my finger in there. It just feels like dirt!

Today I noticed that one side is looking a little brighter.  More turgid. Like its standing up straight and looking out he window.  Maybe there is hope that one day I'll see my little Hoya Bella, my solitary living house plant, produce a sweet little flower. 

3 comments:

  1. God you make me laugh!
    I too am an indoor plant murderess. I didn't even bother bringing the succulents my brother gave my kids for Christmas home, I knew they'd die! I left em with me mum. She keeps everything alive! For ages. forever...
    I hope your luck turns!

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  3. We have two acres of (relatively) successful growing: our willows, raspberries, roses and tomatoes are outstandingly good. House plants, on the other hand.... Suffer the same fate as yours!! If you have any nettles you could steep them and use the juice, or a seaweed or tomato food. I am -just about- keeping a plant alive, the stress!!!

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Dee