Ever Get Tired or Bored With a Plant?

Hoya_24,
I like your analysis. Lots of people who know I have indoor and outdoor plants ask me for advice where they are telling me about a plant problem, and I don't see the plants. For indoor ones, I start with asking about where the plant gets light. Several times I have been told that the plant is "at the window", and then when I have seen it, it turns out to be 8 feet from the window, or the blinds are always down, or actually it is on the mantel near the window. This has forced me to ask more detailed questions about what "at the window" really means. Also, so many people don't really understand that a pot without drainage is not a good situation. For those people, I now generally suggest that they treat the plant as a disposable item, much like getting a potted mum. And I think of their question as more about just making conversation than truly wanting to fix the problem.

A few years ago, I worked for a company that had a leasing company provide and maintain a large ficus tree indoors. It had been there for months or years before I started working there. When I first saw it, I saw that it was a sticky mess with, I would guess, tens of thousands of scales on it, and no one else had noticed that anything was wrong with it, including the leasing company! It is hard for me to comprehend, but apparently very few people have a clue about plants. Each to his own,

Susan in Minneapolis

...cough....lol...

kim if you're bored of that pink princess, I'm bored of my giant pink abutilon......lol

I almost get bored with plants within the first year, guess I'm fickle;)

The Pink Princess is still outside and still hanging in there *lol* She actually seems to like this heat and humidity. Still haven't quite thought of where she will go when fall arrives *lol*.

Kim

Another thing that will cause me to begin to be bored or maybe even turn into full fledged hate of a plant is if it is too common. I swear that if I see one more Golden Pothos or Peace Lily in a garden center, I'll scream. I now really gravitate towards plants that are slow growers and don't lend themselves easilly to factory production. I just came to the conclusion that part of the reason that these low light plants like Janet Craigs are mostly what you see at the garden center of your local Home Depot is that American's must keep themselves in the dark with heavy curtains and blinds. I'm proud to say I don't have a curtain or a blind in any window in my house. When I tell people this, they can't believe it - think I'm crazy. I want light. We'll all be in the dark soon enough.

AMEN TO THAT!

I do have to admit to having curtains and blinds but I never did before.
One time my mom came over and informed me of all the dust on the top of my curtains. After she left I tore down every curtain and threw them away for 12 years. We got a new house this year and I divorced my mom 2 1/2 years ago so I decided for the first time I was going to have curtains and they were going to be dusty *lol*

Kim

There is nothing wrong with a little dust. There is nothing wrong with a little dust. There is nothing wrong with a little dust. That is the mantra I keep repeating to myself all the time. I swear you cannot win against the stuff. Speaking of mothers, is there anyone left alive that still does a "spring cleaning?" Once a year my mother always felt it necessary to wash all the walls, beat all the rugs, wash the curtains, floors, ceilings - every surface that you can name, one room at a time until she made her way through the house. I just don't know if anyone finds the time to attempt such a thing any more.

Kim, it is funny that you brought up mothers. My dislike of curtains also is mother related. When I first got into plants, I was about 16 year's old and I used to fight my mother for every foot candle of light that I could gain for my plants health. I would come home from school and the blinds would all be drawn up tight, and I would be so mad. She was always afraid of the sun fading the furniture and carpet. I always said that when I got my own place that I would not use curtains, and for the most part I have stuck to it - one of my rooms has blinds, but I do not use them.

Doug

Your plants must appreciate all the light :)
Mothers are a whole different topic and unfortunately they can be the greatest best friend you ever had or they should have never had children and did. Mine is the latter of the 2 kinds and I could go on and on but won't.
Anyone can Mother a child but it takes someone special to call Mom. I had a mother but always wanted a mom. I try my hardest to be a Mom to my kids :)
I do find that I Mother my plants though (sometimes to death) *lol*

Kim