Plants: Know When To Fold "Em

Here I go...I'm going to start talking about houseplants again.  Houseplants is such an ugly word.  In fact, putting house in front of words makes them trashy.  Case and point: house-shoes and house-slippers.  Eeek.  Not cool.  Let's just call them potted plants.  Wonderful.  Even though house sounds cooler than pot, I'm going with it.

So, I have a huge crush on anyone who has potted plants in their homes.  It makes me so happy.  Here and here are more conversations about how wonderful I think they are.
{The second link has some great pictures!}

That picture above is rather cute with that Fern there.  Take away the potted plant, and it would be lifeless.  Really.  There would be nothing living in the picture.  Add the potted plant, and wa-la, life!  

Let me zoom in on that plant:

 
Uh-oh!  That life is dwindling.  I see brown!  Note to self: bad form!  

The only thing worse than not having plants and flowers in my house?  Having barely alive or dead plants in my house.  Without plants, I just have nothing living in my home.  Well, besides the five people that live here.  But, with these plants {and sometimes flowers} that start to fade, they bring in signs of death.  Ooooo-ooooo, death!  

This happens on occasion when:

1. I get lazy and forget to throw out that bouquet that is past it's prime

2. I don't maintain the plants well, but still hold onto them hoping they'll pop back

3. I buy them, never pot them, and they start to die.  {see photo below}

There are no cures for reasons #1 and #3.  It's just laziness.
However, #2, I try to cut myself some slack and remember that:

1. most potted plants won't last forever
2. even though they die over time, plants are better bang-for-my-buck than buying flowers

3. I don't have a green thumb, but I can develop one
4. If I need inspiration, then I can always look at pictures to remind me how great it is to maintain plants in my home.

For me, it makes a world of difference!  So, it's back to the nursery that I go.  I've seen some good pictures and been in great homes, and I'm wanting some more plants for my pots.