Indoor Gardening - When is too much, um, too much?

Teacup cloche with asparagus fern.

The ever-forgiving jade plant in an old teapot.


String of beads - a newer purchase.

One of many ferns. This will go into a terrarium for safe-keeping.

First off, I’m having a hard time with the word ‘houseplant’ these days. Maybe because there was what I thought a houseplant should be – versus the flip-side of the other, more creative possibilities.

I have mentioned before, that my very first memories of houseplants were the fake looking plants that lived in the basement of my hometown’s Woolworths. Variegated, dusty – fading under fluorescent lights. Brrrrrr. Lifeless. Sad. Uninspiring. Hospital waiting room-grade horticulture.

Then, there were the college years, the New York City years, the office-living years – in which I was the witness to houseplant overkill, houseplant neglect, and repetitive houseplant behavior. Ficus trees that limped along in smoggy air. Fake ivies. Spider plant after spider plant.

I had to start off slow. My own initial attempts at houseplants were lessons in frustration. Now, I have picked up the pace to an almost ridiculous degree – still, without a fussy plant in sight. I have access to greenhouses that present new possibilities and new varieties. Each plant purchase leaves me weak in the knees – driven to distraction – thinking about the one plant I left behind. That I should go back and get . . . and eventually do. (Of course!)

Here’s where I stand – as of March 3, 2008. My indoor gardening inventory. Again, the word ‘houseplants’ just won't do them justice.

Heart-leaved philodendron
Fern – Adiantum
Fern – Miniature Asparagus (2)
Fern – Asparagus
Fern – Maidenhair
Fern – Rosa Maidenhair
Fern – mystery variety . . .
Bird’s Nest
Miniature aloe
Aloe
Mother-in-Law Tongue
Dwarf Mother-in-Law Tongue (2)
Peace Lily
Pothos (2) – for quick greening up of any space
Succulents (4 varieties – rescued from Lowe’s)
Prayer Plant
Palm
Primrose (the wilder variety)
Jade plant
String of Beads
Terrariums (3) – in desperate need of reviving. Filled with baby's tears, ferns and moss.

Dear blog readers: Feel free to feed the fever - tell me about your tried-and-true favorites.