I watched the programme on houseplants today -Great British Garden Revival. I thought someone ought to tell the plant hunter who nearly got executed in the African jungle that the reason garden centres don't sell so many house plants these days is that a lot of people get their houseplants from...ahem...IKEA.
Dobbies also have a very good selection.
I once went through a succulent phase on the grounds they needed little watering and could look...erm...geeky...as there were many varieties which one could group together in sweet little pots so as to look like an..erm....collecter....(plant hunter image without being a plant hunter in danger of execution).
Also I was attracted by the whole 'plant-a-leaf-and-you -will-get-a-new-plant' concept, which can be applied to succulents.
Anyway the little plant leaves all died and the parent plant died too, due to being deprived of most of its leaves for propagation. So after that I left the remaining succulents well alone. They have thrived. Have even accompanied the DC to university and back. I think I might repot them and get some more.
I got an air plant which also died, though I now see possibly it was too near a dry window and should have been in the bathroom.
The orchid is however putting out flowers, and has clearly been thrilled that I have been too busy to look after it.