Re: Shouldn't it be this way?

And don't forget Aspidistra elator; it really thrives on neglect--and if and when it blooms, the flowers are pleasantly aromatic.

On Monday, June 28, 2004, at 12:11 AM, Marge Talt wrote:

I had Sansevieria on the tip of my typing fingers, too...it puts up
with just about anything.  Dracaena is another plant that takes the
dry inside air and a lot of neglect and low light; I've got one -
think it might be 'Janet Craig' -  about 8' tall that has to be over
30 years old now - talk about a plant that's survived major neglect!


Spathiphyllum will also do well in house humidity if you keep it
watered and does very well in low light but will bloom more if it has
some light.  No direct sun for this child; burns the leaves.

I have had a Schefflera for over 25 years that puts up with winter in
the conference room - lots of sun (too much) and low humidity...it
prefers summer outside with some humidity, but has survived.  Poor
child finally got a new, larger pot after 12 years in the same pot!
It gets to about 12' high and I whack it back.  Also have an ancient
Monstera that survives the same sort of winter ordeal well.  Aloe is
good and tough and takes low humidity.  Have a couple of rubber trees
(Ficus something or other) that also survive inside humidity well -
they want bright light but not direct sun inside.  They all
appreciate summer outside in a shady spot with more regular watering
than they get from me inside in winter!

Even in your desert conditions, if you can water plants (including
foliage) outside in summer - and whatever they're sitting on - it
will increase humidity enough for them to thrive...like daily when
it's hot and dry.  If they're on a masonry patio, wetting that down
at least once a day raised humidity for the plants sitting on it.
Tougher with a wood deck as too much wet rots them faster.

Marge Talt, zone 7 Maryland
mtalt@hort.net
Editor:  Gardening in Shade
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---------- 
From: Dakota <Dakota@hisword.com>
Does anyone know about house plants that are easy to keep? I've
tried
many times to have a Boston fern, but they never survive. LOL! We
have 
low humidity here, but they didn't even survive in CA. My orange
honeysuckle is blooming!! When we bought this land last year, there
were
no flowers at all, except wildflowers. The previous owners only
planted
one pine tree, one globe willow, two pecan trees, and one apricot
tree.
There's a row of some type of bamboo looking growth in one area,
too.
Makes a good wind block. Our new cottonwood tree seems to be doing
the
best right now. Does anyone else here live in AZ, NM or TX? 

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Island Jim
Southwest Florida
Zone 10
27.0 N, 82.4 W

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