Having real live plants around the house has always been a favorite of mine, all the way back to the late-70’s when I got my first apartment. OK, I’m dating myself, but remember macrame plant hangers? Yeah, I had a couple of those. 🙂 I’ve gone through stages of having less rather than more, but right now is a more is more when it comes to real and living plants.
If you’ve read my blog long enough, you’ll remember me posting about real and fake plants and how it’s OK to have fake plants, but I’ve come to the conclusion in the last couple of years, that real just suits me better. Now, when I look back just a few short years ago and see all the fake plants I had around here, it just makes me cringe. 🙂
Do you ever do that?
Now I’m on a mission to bring more live plants in the house. So far it’s working out pretty well and I’ve managed to keep most of them alive. One that I have had great luck with is the Birdsnest Fern. I didn’t think it would be easy to grow, but I have one and it’s doing very well in filtered light, so I picked up another one at Walmart recently. 
I used to have several African violets in this window, but those have bit the dust. I need to get more. My mom grows some beautiful ones and has shared with me over the years. They seem to do great for a few years, then something happens to them. I can’t remember the exact name for this pothos, but I think it has Lime in it. I have had this for probably 3 years now and it is growing great.  I’m not particularly super good at fertilizing, but I try to keep everything watered fairly regular. 
This corn plant came from an office I was working in and it was literally 1/2 dead when I brought it home. I nurtured it and now it has grown probably 2 or 3 feet since then. It likes all the light coming in the foyer. 
At the top of the stairs by the window, I have the Birdsnest Fern. It’s been sitting here happily for 6 or more months. I love the crusty old terracotta pot that I picked up at Grandma Eleanor’s old house.
By the way, Grandma E is doing just fine. We didn’t get her out much during the heat of summer, but I imagine I’ll be taking her out some this Fall. She’s her usual ornery self. 🙂 I talked her recently into donating some of her dogs and rabbit dolls that she makes to The Lovelady Center for the children, so I was glad she agreed to it. They will enjoy having them. 
This little bean (or whatever it is) came from Ikea and was only $3. I’ll definitely get more of these if I find them again. I love how it looks like a little green tree. All I do is keep the soil moist and it seems to be completely happy. Someone told me this is an avocada seed, but I tried to root one and it rotted. This looks more like a giant bean to me. 
Peace lilies (Spathiphyllum) are one of the easiest plants to grow inside. If you have ever had plants, this is probably one of them. They do very well and will droop when water is needed and perk right back up when they get a drink. You can hardly kill these things. 
This is another type of spath (I think), not sure which one, but it does equally as well.  I’m bad about not keeping my tags, so lose track of the official names of them. 
These little plants I found at a yardsale and have no idea what they are called. Does anyone know? I just give them a little water and they seem to be happy and they do spread and pop up new shoots.  Bamboo shoots have been around for a few years and they do well too. 
Closeup of those plants that I can’t identify. 
This palm tree has done pretty well for me too. I keep it watered and so far so good. The other larger frond variety did lose several fronds, but is still alive. So, I would say that this particular variety is a better indoor choice. It’s a little lacier on the fronds. 
This pretty little plant has been in my bathroom for well over a year now and doing very well. It seems to grow slowly, but has not given me any problems and stays very green with just weekly watering. The only identification on the plant tags on these say Angel plants, but I think that is just a species and not a particular name. Anyone know what this one is? I just bought another one since this one has done so well. They look like tiny little palm trees. 
A commenter said that this is a diffenbachia, another hardy and hard to kill plant, this livens up the bathroom. I’m bad with names.
So, what are your favorite plants for indoors? Are you growing plants inside or do you think you have a black thumb? I promise all of these that I’ve shown have been very easy to grow and most of mine are a few years old.
I hope this will inspire you to bring some plants home and give them a try if you’re not already. Real plants just add so much to a home!
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Are you decorating for Fall? I’m a light Fall decorator and don’t do a whole lot, but I’ll be sharing some Fall things in the next couple of weeks. I know that Fall is exploding all over blogland, but I just can’t get into it so early, so come back in a couple of weeks and we might even have a linky party, so you can show off your Fall finery. Mine won’t be huge, but I will do something. 🙂
I love that you have REAL plants in your home! I have some fakes because I can’t ever grow a real plant for very long, but for sure the real ones look so much better. I think I’m going to give it a try again and bring in some real plants. Thanks for the inspiration.
Hi Rhoda,
Yep, back in the 70’s I had so many plants. I think I was a plant collector back then! Wasn’t that trend inspired by hippies? I’m really showing my age!
I still have a few fake plants, mostly giant palms, but got rid of my huge fake ficus tree for 10 bucks at my yardsale. I was happy to see the dusty thing go! LOL Now I have some peace lilies and pothos and another thing I call arrowhead that are doing pretty well for me.
I’m about to bring in 2 pretty Boston Ferns and an asparagus fern that are on the patio and my hubby is having a fit because he know they will get messy and start dropping leaves….oh well….There’s also a beautiful ivy topiary that I’ve had for several years that looks almost fake….it looks that good.
If I had better light I think I’d have more plants. I really like the organic feel of living plants.
You have beautiful, healthy plants! LOL, I remember MAKING macrame plant hangers & teaching my mom to make them…next thing we knew, there was macrame all over the house! (My mom kinda runs with things & can go a little crazy…hahaha) Good memories!
I love real indoor plants- can’t stand fake ones. I have an orchid that my friend gave me two years ago and it still blooms! Love it- I keep it in my master bathroom. I think it likes the heat and humidity!
In the early 80’s I can remember having more then 50 live plants in the house…..talk about taking time to water! Now, I have a total 4 that belong in the house but are put outside in the summer…..just sprayed them for bugs this afternoon to bring them in. The green really adds a splash of color in the house.
Hi Rhoda,
Not only did I have macrame’holders , I MADE them myself. What a talent! How embarassing.
Anyway. I have two huge ficus trees that I bought over 13 years ago at the farmer’s market. They were 3′ tall. Now well over 12′ and very bushy. I love them. Also palms, and spider plants and bamboo. And of course, view of all the oaks and redwoods just outside my house. I consider them mine as well! And tons of plants on the decks. Each side of the house is a different eco-system. Shady, sunny, hot, cool and breezy. So, I nurture many different varieties of plants and flowers that live out there, right near the doors, and in our “outside” rooms.
Plants bring a room to life in my opinion. When I take them outside to spray them down or whatever the energy in each room is different without them. It’s true!
You always have interesting ideas and post such fun things!
xo
Heidi – Heart and Home
I’ve never had a fake plant. But, I can tell you from trial and error, I have had most of the plants you’ve pictured. If you find they aregetting too “leggy”, do what I do and cut a piece out of the middle. You’ll be amazed how quickly they bush out! It’s definitely worth a shot (don’t do that on the violets though!) I have a ficus tree that I was given when my daughter was born 18 years ago..you should it see it.. hugh and has survived many “haircuts!”
I remember the post about real vs fake flowers and think about it often. LOL My friend Tiffany Of Perfect Taste says, “No, no, no” on fake flowers. Your real flowers are beautiful! I tend to kill every flower I touch, but lucky to have been able to keep a Philodendron alive that my mother started before I was born. That and a puny Aloe. Hubby’s the green thumb at our house.
Macrame plant holders and everyone had a spider plant and dracena in the 70s. Mom has lots of African violets at her place. I have a jade plant, aloe, hoya and night blooming cereus. The latter hasn’t bloomed yet but I keep hoping.
I second that orchids are both beautiful, elegant and so easy to care for. I also have an aloe plant that does great here in the South. It is very interesting visually and it’s great to have fresh aloe at hand!
I have three favorites…. English Ivy, Boston Ferns and Violets… I buy all my plants from Home Depot because if they die (or I kill them) they will exchange them for new…
Rhoda,
I have always had real plants, some I have had for many, many yrs. And yes, I had macrame plant holders too, they were just the coolest thing going!.
The leaves on the IKEA plant look like Benjamin Fig to me. If so, they are sensitive to temperature change.
I really enjoy your site, it’s gorgeous, as are all your creations and designs! My problem with having living plants in the house is that all my windows/ideal locations for plants, are on my hardwood floors. Any suggestions for protecting my floors while still keeping my plants fed and watered?
HI, I have had that problem before too. One of my terracotta pots sweated on my hardwood foyer floor and left a white spot. I got most of it up, but need to work on it more.
There are plant holders out there that will lift them up off the floor a few inches, so check out the home stores and see if you can find some. I found a glass & metal one at a yardsale that lifts my corn plant perfectly off the floor.
I so enjoyed seeing your live plants. I love live plants in the house but I don’t have many in side. You are doing a good job with yours.