It all started 3 years ago with a random trip to a local nursery. The mission was a rubber tree plant to keep in my classroom. I had heard it was extremely good for the air and would tolerate a bit of neglect. My daughter and I found one (which she promptly named Herbert) and it sat in my classroom that year. It did take a fair amount of neglect, including the wooden blinds falling on it and stripping it of many of its leaves. Never-the-less, Herbert persevered and I brought him home that summer. Back he went for year 2 at school and when summer came, Herbert was big, I mean really big, like needed a big pot kind of big. So Herbert made himself a permanent home in our kitchen and I decided that I was good at growing things.
My daughter and I went on the hunt for another rubber tree plant but they were all too large and so we kept looking. We found a ZZ plant, grape ivy and a peperomia. The 3 came home and were given names ( I still don't know how she comes up with those names but something about them speaks to her and she settles on a name.)
I have already blogged about the ZZ plant which out grew its pot and became 4. The grape ivy took off at a rapid pace and became 2. The peperomia is still slowly growing and I liked the look of it so much that I bought another one to go in my office at work.
Work, the unexplored frontier for plants. Well the peperomia was lonely (oh, geez, I am beginning to share my daughters affinity for giving plants human characteristics.) So I got another plant to go with it, I forget the name, it is striking with green and red leaves and the stalks are pinkish/ red. The two little plants sit in my office flanking my desktop computer. I have convinced myself that they are good for the air and they are sucking in all of the toxic computer rays that would otherwise contaminate my work space. I Thought I was done with the plant purchases but then I discovered snake plants. I now have 3 making a statement on the top of my hutch at work and my office is complete.
The only thing I didn't have was another rubber tree plant. I have searched high and low but had not found one. Until that glorious day I was just killing time before my meeting and I went into the original nursery. There she was, not to big, not to small, perfect. So I brought her home and named her Matilda ( because Herbert and Matilda seem like a good match.) Matilda loved her new home and outgrew the window sill in the kitchen and has now taken a place by the window. She popped up 4 new stalks with leaves and so I dug into the soil, discovered that they had sustainable roots and plucked them out of Matilda and into their new home. Matilda and Herbert had a baby. Anna (encase you were wondering).
Now to the point of this post. My husband has drawn a line. No more plants in our home. But before he said this, I snuck in 3 little lemon button ferns. Seriously, No More Plants! I do not understand this.
First of all, I am not asking you to take care of them.
Secondly, they do not interfere with your daily activities.
Thirdly, they are not creating problems(allergies) for anyone.
Finally, they just might clean the toxins out of the air and improve the quality of your life!
I have decided that perhaps we just see things differently.
I see this
He sees this
This must be the problem. Perspective. I see a dainty, well organized addition to our home. He sees hoarders, plant addition. I think I will show him this picture and remind him that things could be significantly worse. I will keep you posted if any other plants join the family.
Well ok, 3 more have already joined the family, but before you lump me in with that second picture. I have found them a home in my classroom. So I am listening to my husband's wishes, no more plants in our home. We just won't remind him that in June, school will end and those 3 will have to go somewhere.
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