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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

How many house plants do you have?

236 replies

sevencontinents · 04/03/2022 21:50

I have 20 but I know people who have 80. How many house plants do you have and AIBU to say that having house plants is good for mental health and wellbeing?

OP posts:
Pamparam · 06/03/2022 16:09

40-50ish including some rare things, variegated monstera and syngoniums, some rare philodendrons. A few hoyas. Various bog standard ones. I love plants but my dark terrace house doesn’t have any more areas to put them in!

mydogisthebest · 06/03/2022 16:19

@jay55

Zero, I don't have any windowsills.
I can only have plants on 2 of my window sills as the others all have a radiator underneath them.

I have lots on the floor in groups, on the stair treads, on shelves, on top of my tv cabinet, on a sideboard.

I think I have run out of space then I found somewhere else to put one!

poolblue · 06/03/2022 16:22

Where do you all buy your plants from? The garden centre near us has lots but they are £££

Scarlettpixie · 06/03/2022 16:53

6 although a couple are herbs that don’t look very well. I would love more but lots are poisonous to animals.

NeverDropYourMooncup · 06/03/2022 16:54

@poolblue

Where do you all buy your plants from? The garden centre near us has lots but they are £££
The Snake Plant was reduced in a local-type/food M&S for about £8, most of which was probably for the pot. The others at work were generally abandoned in classrooms and offices during lockdown and only retrieved after around 6 months unwatered and untouched. The Jade plant/crassula/spider/etc came from tiny bits that fell off somebody else's plants at work and came home in my lunchbox before being stuck in water or soil and doing their thing. The avocadoes came from lunches and the Ivies came from the ones growing outside.

Some were from Sainsbury's in their plant lucky dips on delivery, usually under a fiver with a pot. I think the majority of the others came from a market stall for around £2-3, couple from IKEA for about the same.

The most successful one so far has been the Monstera. That was in Waitrose reduced to clear for £2 as it consisted of one seed leaf, one half dead leaf about three inches across and a slight bulge in the stem above a break where the previous leaf had been snapped off.

The only garden centre plant was £1.59.

I do need to add some more this morning, though. Another five crassula, as the cat knocked the pot over yesterday afternoon, so it got split, repotted and the little bits will also most likely turn into plants if suitably neglected. And whilst I was at it, DP decided that there were some seeds he'd picked up that wouldn't hurt to try out. Not sure what they are going to be, but it'll be interesting if any germinate.

And he's just put a mini shelf up on the side of the fridge, which just happens to be both the perfect size for holding herb pots but is also in direct line of daylight. So there will likely be some more growing herbs around soon - although the supermarket Rosemary I bought in about 2013, looking sad and droopy definitely prefers it outside - I chopped it back to about a three foot by three foot bush a few weeks ago so we could get into the house without smelling like a leg of lamb all the time.

I have been wondering about getting some cheap LED/full spectrum grow lights, as there are easily a couple more places that could take a plant or five.

The only place there aren't any plants are the bathrooms - one has no natural light and the other one, well, it's the favourite place for all the plants to live going how they react to being dumped in the bath and forgotten about for a few days. If they were allowed to stay there, we'd need a machete to go to the toilet at night.

Angliski · 06/03/2022 16:55

About 20

AdoraBell · 06/03/2022 17:36

5 currently. Recently moved to a smaller house and less space for plants.

itbemay1 · 06/03/2022 18:31

11 but I want more!

poolblue · 06/03/2022 19:25

Thanks Never. I'll keep my eyes peeled for bargains.

mydogisthebest · 06/03/2022 20:16

@poolblue

Where do you all buy your plants from? The garden centre near us has lots but they are £££
Wilkinsons are usually pretty cheap for plants plus they often sell off any that are looking a bit sickly.

I have also bought from Home Bargains, M&S, B&Q plus there are 2 really nice plant shops quite near me.

Indoor plants seemed to go out of fashion but then, I think, lockdown encouraged more people to get into gardening and indoor plants. The 2 plant shops near me only opened last year. We visited York last year and there was a lovely indoor plant shop there too.

I have also bought some online - Bakker have some nice ones at good prices and I have bought a couple on ebay

risefromyourgrave · 07/03/2022 08:04

@poolblue

Where do you all buy your plants from? The garden centre near us has lots but they are £££
Have a look on Etsy, that’s where I get a lot of mine from. If it’s an expensive plant you want then sometimes you can get a cutting which is a lot cheaper.
JackieWeaversZoomAc · 07/03/2022 17:14

I don't spend much on plants - I spent the most on a couple of bigger ones from our gorgeous local indie plant shop.

Other plants are from lidi, ikea, morrisons, aldi. I've been given plants and cuttings and grown these - my fab montesera was from a cutting from a friend. When visiting friends I usually take a cutting or 2 with me.

Small plants are often much cheaper to buy and its so great to pot them on & watch them grow.

Anonymous48 · 07/03/2022 17:32

YABVVVU

I have zero houseplants. I don't enjoy gardening and wouldn't know how to keep them alive (and wouldn't have any inclination to put effort into keeping them alive).

This doesn't affect my mental health at all. I spend plenty of time outside in nature (because I do believe that is important for mental health), and I have hobbies that I enjoy. Keeping house plants is far from a necessity to a fulfilling happy life.

mydogisthebest · 07/03/2022 19:04

Oh yes I totally forgot about Ikea. We don't go there very often but when we do I always buy at least 1 plant

poolblue · 07/03/2022 20:16

Thanks for all the good ideas on where to buy plants.

echt · 07/03/2022 20:50

@Anonymous48

YABVVVU

I have zero houseplants. I don't enjoy gardening and wouldn't know how to keep them alive (and wouldn't have any inclination to put effort into keeping them alive).

This doesn't affect my mental health at all. I spend plenty of time outside in nature (because I do believe that is important for mental health), and I have hobbies that I enjoy. Keeping house plants is far from a necessity to a fulfilling happy life.

YABVVU.

The OP didn't say not having houseplants = poor mental health.

Chely · 07/03/2022 20:58

2, they rarely need watering so I don't mind them. I prefer garden plants.

ImAnonymous · 07/03/2022 21:12

I only have 6, a spider plant, a rubber plant, aloe Vera, a succulent and 2 cacti but I definitely want to get more. I just have to persuade DH 🤣🤣

looklikeanelephant · 08/03/2022 15:06
  1. A spider plant and an orchid. I wanted to see if I could keep them alive before I got more(I have so far but the orchid is such a pain, I'm so wheezy around it!)
Anonymous48 · 08/03/2022 16:25

@echt

She absolutely did! Her question was "AIBU to say that having house plants is good for mental health and wellbeing?"

SatinHeart · 08/03/2022 16:28

Only about 10 at the moment. We got rid of a lot when we sold our house (EA recommended keeping the windowsills as clear as possible for photos and viewings). Slowly rebuilding the collection now we've moved!

BurntO · 08/03/2022 16:51

40-50 here

FantasticFebruary · 08/03/2022 16:56

@Bayersoak

25. Peace lilies are really easy to keep alive for those of you that struggle! Only water them when the leaves droop. Leave well alone other than that!
But NOT if you have cats!!

They're not as toxic as 'proper' lilies, but will still make your cat sick.

bebanjo · 08/03/2022 17:02

I have none, my 15 year old DD has about 30 in her room, she tells me that she has poor mental heath, mine is fine.

Loiste · 08/03/2022 17:03

Over 100 - mostly orchids. I much enjoy caring for them and seeing them flower 🌸