"Shhhhh don't tell my husband! Good thing I have so many plants to hide the new ones in with. He'll never know... LOL "

HAHAHA I bought a rubber tree at lowes on Sunday. Brought it home stuck it into my collection and hubby never noticed. My grandson who is 6 came into the house and asked, Nanny did you buy more plants?

I have 350-400. Most are small plants.

Cardarlin..if you have 45 plants already, and just started the hobby, count on having a house-filled before you know it. lol Toni

cynandjon- Your grandson is counting! He's keeping an eye on you! I would have just given him a sucker and said.. "Shhhhhhh" ;)

Toni- I know I'll have a house full here soon. This whole question came about from a conversation I had with my mother the other day. She accused me of hoarding. LOL I politely explained to her that there was a differance between collecting and hoarding.. Hoarders don't give their stuff away. And I passed about three pots of plants that I'm not fond of off too her. :)

Somewhere between 60 and 100 although the vast majority of them are really small succulents. For instance, I have 15 or so plants on the windowsill behind me and about room for twice that, really.

In terms of larger plants I have...

P. Gracillior - Despite my love for podocarps this got WAY too rootbound and drought stressed as a result and then as a result of THAT it's a huge scale nest, now. Unless the imidicloporid kicks in I'll have to chuck it :( Anyway, about five feet tall.

A. Columnaris - Okay, this isn't even that big. It's like, two feet. Same for the B. Recurvata (Nolina? Who knows), the larger of the two crotons I have, the pedilanthus ti...thalymoides? And my ming aralia. Also the huge E. Millii I got at walmart a while ago because it was the only E. Millii I've ever liked. Still only about two feet.

I threw away most of the S. Trifasciata. I like Sans but not THAT much of them at once.

E. Flanaganii I have really isn't that big but thanks to the awkward shape an inability to find an appropriately sized pot, that takes up more space than it really needs to.

So uh... Other larger plants that I actually tended to leave at home when I was living in my dorm, but I have a three or four year old pineapple that's large to the point where I just stop watering it in the winter to force it to die back some so that I can actually walk around it, a key lime tree which is about two or three feet tall, uh... an Agave attenuata which tends to live in the basement in the winter. None of those are that large, really, although it's still kind of questionable as to whether or not I have room for them in my apartment since... it's not so much a matter of finding SPACE for them but finding them places where they get decent light.

I'm not really that big on owning different cultivars of the same plant or multiples of a same species, though (with the notable exception being that I have three Leuchtenbergias). It's also pretty rare that I just find stuff I really want in like, a grocery store or a Lowes or even some of the nicer greenhouses in town. I more tend to binge purchase when I get to like, plant shows, or REALLY interesting greenhouses, or... IKEA, oddly enough, because they get in some pretty interesting plants sometimes although the quality is really suspect. On the other hand, they're probably the best bet I have for actually getting an E. Drupifera because they sell grafted E. Lactea crests for 3 dollars and everyone else sells them for 30).

I have seen Ikeas plants. They have a decent plant I think when comparing to price.

Man, let' see...

I have had several obsessions with completely different type plants over the least few years..

First it was Citrus, then Plumerias, then Palms, then Adeniums, then Clivia, and then throw a few usuals in there, Home Depot plants, then rare plants from E-bay, China, Vietnam, and so on.

Then, someone introduced me to Jades and Succulents which was a bad idea..Now I have over 30 of just those alone, a majority being Jades, different types of Jades, Hummel sunsets in particular being my favorite..

Then of course there are the friends that gave me their dying ones, some as gifts, some ,where people passed on and I inherited them, and then give aways at Lowes..

Of course now that I have a hard time killing them as I did in years previous, they are all sticking around for my attention a lot longer..

Then of course once I had my moments with collecting many groups of the same plant family, I turned around and favored Citrus again, acquiring ones that I did not have that I always wanted..

I would say I have over 100 excluding all the ones I just sent all over the world to the forum friends and gave away to friends and family....
At least there isn't an inch of room for any boring spaces in my home, and it smells like a tropical island every time winter sets in with everything in bloom..lol...

Oh, I almost forgot my next interest in a certain type of plant. Orchids!

Mike

I had 2 beautiful huge Jade plants and they both got a fungus and died.

Wow, some of you really have a large amount of plants!! I have about 75 all shapes and sizes! My favorite tho is a Lisa Cane which is over 6ft tall. I'm always telling my sister that I don't have anymore room for plants and she always tells me "you can always find room for one more plant!" In my dreams I wish I had a huge sunroom filled with nothing but plants!!!! Ellen

Do I have to count? Then I have to admit how many there are...

I have six Streptocarpus hybrids. I only have two pothos - rescues from someone who threw them out. I only have one Chirita Vertigo. And, I only have one Philodendron that I believe to be Philodendron Ornatum. One spider plant. Three Hippeastrum hybrids. One flytrap. Then there are about fifty adult Saintpaulia hybrids and over 100 young ones I've recently propagated. And maybe another 75 leaves that are still in the process of propagation.

Please do not total that! I really do not want to know...it's my form of denial, lol.

Several hundred but I refuse to keep plants in the house for any length of time. Summer they are outside or in a greenhouse and in the greenhouses over the winter. I'll occasionally bring something in bloom inside for a short time and will move some larger plants in when we entertain but nothing permanently in the house. Sounds strange for someone that loves plants. lol

Karyn- I'm curious why you don't want them permanently inside? I have mine outside during the warm months but they definatly help me get through the winters in michigan when they are inside. :)

Just added yet another orchid to my collection. And a few cyclamen cuttings. Not sure if anything will happen from them.

I do not want to count. LOL I just looked over in my bedroom I have 40 plants. Some are succulents and there are 2-3 in a pot.

I am like you cardalin my plants get me through the winter. I like to buy plants that flower or have colorful leaves.

All my plant are outside in the summer but I love them in every room in the winter.

I agree! I need the green and flowers to get through the winter! LOL Karyn, isn't one of yor GH's connected to your house? I think that qualifies...LOL

Theresa

I just don't care to have plants in the house. I'll use large foliage and flowering specimens as accent pieces when entertaining but they go back outside or in a greenhouse. Theresa one of the greenhouses is accessible thru the dining room. Definitely a plus in the cold weather : )

I lost count at around 200... most are bulbs, but orchids and other tropicals live among them. My windowsills are overcrowded, and anywhere there's enough light to support plant growth, there are plants.

It gets especially difficult in autumn when I bring in the plants that summered outside... more crowding as I try to make room for everyone! They're even propped up on a large barrel in the stairwell with a south facing window!

Somewhere just past 200 plants, I'd estimate... but there's always room for one more!

Lolol..Don't laugh..

I was at the local nursey yesterday and saw some of the most fully abundant flowering Lemon Meyers trees left from the summer there on sale for 30% off, oh so beautiful..I had already bought 6 from them at full price all summer.

Well, a customer saw me and came over and asked if I was ok...? I said no..I can't decide to leave the plant here or take it home...She said: "Look, there is alwasy room for one more plants, and besides you only live once".

Sold..I brought it home and glad I did at 17 dollars instead of 24....lol.Thank God for the skylight and the south facing windows..

Mike

I've lost count but I think I'm well over 100. Course most of those are miniatures so they take up less space but still............

Most of mine are orchids but with some "regular" plants in the mix.

Karyn- I envy you! I would love a green house let a lone one attached to my house!

Mike- I like the philosophy. Only live once and always room for one more. I think I'll start living by that from now on!

And I'm happy that there are more ppl out there that appreciate their plants so much more in the winter time like I do. I have a few polka dot plants that I picked up this summer. Almost killed two of them but brought them back to life. Checked them yesterday and they are flowering! I didn't even know they flowered? I was tickled pink! Also just checked my emerald pepperomia and I see a small rat tail popping up. I'm feeling so successful and this is my first winter. ( not really I had a few plants like 4 or 5 a few years ago but all but one died)

hi,i have 120.most are small but i do have a parlor palm that is 6' tall and a cordyline about the same size.a large croton too.some which are cacti and succulents we put in our shed that has a large slider window and do well there all winter and some bloom.we have a breezeway that we are thinking of converting into a sunroom.it already has 2 solartubes in place.i can hardly wait!our house is really crowded with all the plants but i love them all.

I have about 10 "HUMMEL SUNSET JADES" and I just took them off my roof for the winter..My friends husband helped me and begged me for just one, and I said no..lol..I find it too hard to let go of my special ones..

I too love them all, even it is just 1 inch high...

Mike

i hate to say this but i have like seventy something and i have more ordered on the way and not enough room...i think the others will be shipped in spring which works because i brought a ton in off my deck and then there is probably fifty or more in building to overwinter. having difficult time finding places to put all of them, because i like to decorate with them and not so much just lay them in a line somewhere. although i may have to revert to that. i told my husband i needed my greenhouse up, but apparently since we are putting on a new concrete front porch i have to wait. but i really do need...ummm want a greenhouse for this very reason.

Far less than the 200 I used to. Seriously, I no longer count.

I am involved in my local Indoor Gardening Society (active member & on their Board of Directors too). As such, I am one of the ones appointed to take home plants which didn't sell & lately they're on the large side (like several gorgeous no ID Sans. I got last week, of which I intend to post pix at the C&S Forum to try & get IDs.)

I can't take anything outdoors, so it's the battle for the windowsill, where succulents get 1st dibs. After that priority goes to my Hoyas.

The collection's gotten a bit smaller since I no longer date a fellow C&S collector. He was extremely generous & often gave me cuttings of his plants when I admired them. (First time I'd come back from visiting him, I'd brought back about 30 cuttings from him & some of his C&S friends).

I have seriously scaled back as I find too large a collection is difficult to find place for & take good care of.

I have seen several friends who allowed their collections to get out of control to the point of overwhelming & they & the plants suffered as a result.

So I take that lesson & keep to a bit of moderation. I'd rather keep the collection a pleasure rather than let it morf into a chore & stressor.

My two cents.

Good answer, pirate_girl.

Do they count as houseplants if I just overwinter them in the house? You know, like phormiums, gardenia, jasmine, bougainvillea..etc. And the croton, cacti & succulants, they spend the summer outside too, so surely they don't count. Or the begonias and bromeliads...or the irisene I use to start cuttings...or...;-)

tj

lost count after 500 I go from jungle to desert and every thing in between, my new addiction is to orchids, now if any body has room in there green house let me know I could get more plants that way LOL

Bear

Was having trouble sleeping, so counted plants instead of sheep. Now I'm a bit sheepish regarding the results.

I started in the living room. 1 Chirita Moonlight. 6 Streptocarpus cultivars. 1 lovely Scindapsus pictus argyraeus. 2 Chlorophytum comosum. 2 E. aureum. 4 Hippeastrum cultivars.

Very manageable.

Then to the dining room.

42 adult Saintpaulia. That's a little crazy, but not too excessive. Then to the plantlets that have been propagated in the last 3 months. Uh, oh. 387.

Then to the leaves that are haven't produced yet or are still producing. 33. That will add another 70-120 plants to the total over the next few months.

The to the 7 Streptocarpus leaves propagating with at least 40 plantlets to be removed in the next few weeks.

I'm hoping someone wants some starter plants in the spring :-). Otherwise I'll need 2-3 more plant stands for when all those young plants mature and a new house in which to fit them!

oh wow i am starting to feel a whole lot better about my obsession with plants :) but i guess that is one way to get a new house.

Wow! I need to catch up!

I have 2 Pothos at home that are close to 9 years old., one good sized Jade I bought a couple years ago (trying to turn around a tragic bad luck streak with Jades) and one Aloe I bought at the same time. At my office (safe from the cat), I have one rescue Pothos, an African Violet, a prayer plant I got for my birthday and is becoming a fast favorite, a very tiny and sickly Jade that was the only clipping I kept to survive my dearly departed old one (death by cat), a Thanksgiving cactus (almost killed by cat in the 12 short hours it was in my home), 2 Bamboo and 3 Geraniums I'm over-wintering (not even taking a chance with the cat). :)

So...about 13? I would have more, but...well, I think it's pretty obvious why I don't. There was one survivor. A snake plant almost as old as my Pothos made it to my Dad's before it was completely destroyed. The stupid cat hadn't even looked at it for 7 years, then one day....

I live in an apartment with only the back sliding glass door for light so my space with enough lighting for plants is very limited :( Which is a shame cuz I love my plants. I only have about 10 small plants and rooted cutting inside and about 13 big plants and hanging baskets outside on my small patio. Are their amy plants that do well in low light conditions? By low light I mean about 10ft from my glass door that only gets direct sun coming thru it about 5 hours in the evening but is fairly bright most of the day. I killed 3 orchids trying to keep them in that lighting though :(

Here is a link that might be useful: My Garden

It started here with orchdis. Within a few years I had about 85 and I needed fluorescent light for them during the winter as I grew out of window sill space. I don't have a GH, only a balcony!
Soon I realized I had to make a choice, which genera to grow. I started to give away double plants and the once that were a bit hard to grow for me. I still want to downsize on Phalaenopsis hybrids but it's hard to choose which ones have to go. Currently I have two side tables filled with flowering Phalaenopsis and it looks more than a table in a plant store than a display in a house LOL.
I also have some bigger houseplants, several Dracaena's and Ficcus, a Monstera deliciosa... Started a few Crassula's and inspired by these boards I added more different ones to the collection.
Besides I have a very old Sansevieria (must be at least 30 years old), got cuttings from dwarf forms from my neighbors and again inspired by these boards I'm adding more and more Sansevieria to the houseplant collection.
My mum recently visited (she is over 80 and doesn't visit as often as in the past because of her age) recently asked me how many houseplants I had. Well, to my surprise it was 79, including some odds and ends I didn't mention before.
These plants mostly live indoors in a 2 bedroom apartment, together with 2 dogs and three cats.

I love it, when I water them, inspect them for new growth etc. it helps me to relax.

Nicole

Moose..I love your little garden. Although you say it's small, 'doesn't look too tiny,' your plants are on the large side, so you'd have room for small plants...you've succeeded making a beautiful little paradise.

Nicole. They add up fast, right? lol.
Do you have windows in the bedrooms, kitchen, bathroom, living room, dining room, etc?

You'd be surprised the number of plants window sills hold, especially wider sills.
My dh added two shelves in our living room windows. The tops hold larger plants, the seccond shelf, smaller.

Examples:

{{gwi:107258}}

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The shelves hold quite a few plants, and are easy to clean.

Don't forget hanging plants. :) Toni

Moosetrackz, try pothos, heart-leaf philodendron, dieffenbachia, sansevieria for low light. (And you might want to start your own discussion to ask a new question. Or you might look back "through time" as this question gets asked often.

Hi Toni
your shelving looks great! Have yours to keep in mind for a few windows. Except for the bathroom I have windows in every room. The windowsills are quit narrow but most of them are facing South, which will scorch most of my plants. So what I do, I place them on side tables in front of the windows and I move the tables towards the window or away from them depending on the season :-)
Nicole

Hi Nicole...There's nothing obstructing your south windows? A building, tree, awning?

Many plants love south light, but it depends on types you're growing. Most people have the opposite problem: low light.

The shelves are easy to build, and adjustable..that's one thing I like about them.

What type of plants do you have? Good luck, Toni

Hi Toni :-)

No, non of my windows are obstructed. I like it, especially during the darker months of the year. I even don't need curtains to have some privacy. So during winter I can give a lot of plants maximum light. But, I'm living in the Netherlands, I think I can compare my light levels to Canada. During the winter, the max amount of light I can give is not enough for all plants and the windowsills are cold despite double glazing.
I mainly grow orchids, most of them are considered low light plants (500-700fc). Some of the orchids need mediate light levels (up to 2500fc) and only a few crave full sun, like my Vanda hybrids. These do very well in my house (and outdoors on the balcony during summer), bloom 2-3 times a year and some of them with double spikes. During the winter I have them in front of the biggest South faced window.
The rest of the plants: Dracaena's, Monstera, Ficus, Crassula, Sedum, Sanseveria, Aenonium, Rhipsalis.

I move plants from room to room, depending on the season. For instant Odontocidium Wildcat is in the South Windowsill during winter (optimum light and colder temperatures close to the windows in a unheated room), currently it's outside. Rhipsalis outside during spring, summer and fall, the rest of bigger plants could go outside as well but do very well in a corner where they get bright indirect light and early morning sun. Sans. are close to South window in the guest room (as close as possible without bleaching the color), which I use for Phalaenopsis during winter and my Sans. go during the winter to a colder room (=less growth) with less light during winter. Even a South faced window won't give them enough light during winter, so I prefer to slow their growth down.

Somehow it works for me... Mix, match and move ;-)
I make a lot of use of 'micro climates in the house. For instance the corners of a windowsill, especially the right corner of the South faced windowsills mainly gets morning sun, the left corner seems to be get more sun and to be much much hotter.
I run out of place for low light plants during winter, that batch of plants goes under fluorescent lights. Oh, and almost constantly a (a ceiling) fan running (summer and winter) and when I have to heat the house a humidifier when humidity drops too much.

Nicole

I only have like 15... there are a lot more that I want, but I can't get any right now because of crazy living situation.

My favorites are my hoya, my little tropical mystery-fern, my terrible ugly abused pothos that I found on top of a dumpster a while ago (just repotted smaller from its original huuuge pot with nasty soil and put in a place with more light, so it might get less scraggly..) and my jar of moss. (Needs zero care!)

But I will certainly have more later!

Nicole, great workout at no cost! lol.

Do your orchids bloom? If so, they're getting enough sun. As long as your plants survive, they're properly cared for.

I find humidifers a necessity. Especially when growing orchids and tropicals. And great for people, too.
When air is dry, I can't breath, and my skin feels like sand paper. As soon as the humidifer is on, the air is so much nicer.

How do your Crassulas do? If they survive, they're getting adequate sunlight. I like when Crassula leaves redden.

How long are your summers? Sorry, don't know much about the Netherlands.
You compared your climate to Canada, but Canada has different climates, depending where one is located.
One man in Canada grows 'tropical' palms in his yard, year round. They're beautiful and have grown large. His pics are on the Palm Forum.
Then there's places in Canada that stay cold most of the year. Which catagory does your area fit?

Like you, Nicole, I do not use curtains/blinds, etc. Hanging and tall plants obstruct anyone looking in our house. lol
Well, actually, the upstairs bathroom has curtains that are always opened..unless I shower at night..In that case, I have to remove plants hanging on the rod, then close the curtains..however, the hanging plants shower with me, so, it all works out. lol.

Squidy...hang around here and you'll end up with a million plants..lol.

After your living situation is resolved, you can choose any plant you like...As long as your windows have proper light.
for instance, if your new place has all northern windows, or obstructed by close buildings, buying a sun-loving cactus wouldn't do.

What type of Hoya do you have? Hoyas are one of my favorites, too..for their pretty leaves and flowers.

Soon you'll be saying you have 150 plants, instead of 15, lol. Toni

When I came here first around 2001, I had about four. After a couple of years on this houseplant forum I noticed I had mysteriously acquired around 150 and the number was climbing. I eventually gave a lot of plants away, because I found I couldn't look after them. I decided on some favourites, and they are mostly with me still. I have 24, and I think that for me that's a good number. And I still love this houseplant forum.

My hoya is a carnosa KQ. (The label just said "hoya" but I learned all the fancy details on here, lol.) One of the things I want is to get more hoyas, they are wonderful.

Light is a big part of the problem where I live right now, there isn't much at all. I have north and east windows mostly obstructed by trees. But there seems to be just enough light to keep my current plants doing ok. And when it's warmer I can put some outside where they'll get more, but it's still in the 40s at night right now.

As for humidity, it won't work for big plants, but I only have one small plant with humidity problems (it's humid enough for normal plants around here, and luckily for people too) and it started looking a lot better after I put a fish bowl over it.
I was psyched to figure this out, but I guess it's probably not much of a secret to planty people, lol..

i might be crazy, but i love hearing you guys might be too, lol! i live In a pretty small apartment, around the 300s, and have 37 plants. Mind you, they aren't short or by any means small any of them... This summer I went all plantzilla. And i love them - not a single yellow leaf has been spotted and my chiliplant is sporting 25 chilies. #happy ❤

Happy is the word. Plants keep people happy. My plants are creeping upwards again, this time a love of jades is responsible, but I still have all my old favourites.

Are we just counting 'houseplants'? (A few hundred)

Cold harries, in the ground..., who knows?!

Since my last post, about another 200 more..Jeepers! I should just pack a bag and move into a rain forest, that is where I belong.. Not naked and afraid though..Totally happy

Hi Mike, I so loved all your jade posts. I didn't realise you had a much bigger family too !

I have close to 150 I will learn how to post some of them soon I hope lol

I have a limit of 100 pots in the house, but no limit of how many individuals I will try to cram into them. Right now, I only have about 20 pots because so many plants are spending a temporary summer vacation in the ground. I think I have about 200 diff "house plants" but my plant list also includes hardy landscape plants, so am not really sure. Also, the lines are blurred at my house because some plants not usually kept as house plants are ones I save cuttings of inside for winter, so they are house plants for about 3-4 months, then go back outside in my tropical-wannabe landscape.

These aren't house plants today, but will be by November.

Today while I was re-potting and watering my plants I decided to count them and I got 60. I counted doubles too, but hopefully I will give them away by the Autumn when I bring my plants inside (the middle of September). Since my plant count grew alarmingly in last few years I have specially made shelf when they are outside and a table when they are inside *sighs* since I love TC, EC and CC during the Winter my plant count will surely grow. Mom's window has pelargoniums 10 pots or more since I tend to bring home new ones lol. Then there are 6 plants for 2 other windows...

My house plant numbers have fallen alot in the last few weeks.......

I lost 4 of My Tillandsias as I left them in a car for 4 hours when it was 30c out. Totally forgot about them. I'm left with 3 and even then 2 of them might not make it and even if they do they look horrible..... And My pineapple died and I think the same happend to my tops but I'll have to wait another week untill I'm back home to find out if they have. And I hope my pet sitter hasn't killed any of my plants either!

Anyways....

I have 18 (I think)

plants in total... Distributed over 14 pots. I keep multiple spider plants in with my scheff and I have a succulent dish which has 3 differnt succulents in it. Then the Tillandsias obviously don't need a pot.

I also have some philo and satin pothos in with my Palm.

And technically I only have 16 plants for sure... The two Tillandsias and my Pony palm are still a maybe.

I plan to add 4 more plants though! My banana is coming back with me and I'm looking for a pregnant onion, croton 'Bush on fire' and Sansevieria.

And a whole wack of airplants now!

I really limit the number of house plants I have these days. One day, I woke up and had over 80 pots filled with STUFF. I really don't know where I got all of it, though once I look at a plant, I do recall acquiring it at such and such store. LOL

But my joy comes from giving away plants to friends. It's always awesome when I have a non-gardener friend (which would be 99% of my friends) admire a plant and before I know it, I offer it to them. This motor mouth of mine, lol....But when they do not kill it and call to ask about what to do, or sometimes bring it over repotting, it makes me happy. :) I am, however, really stingy about sharing fertilizer LOL. Get your own, man!

That process has dwindled down my plants by more than half--which is a good thing.

At my new house, I also have no real shelf space or tabletop space in the southern room (living room) and the majority of my space is in a northern room (family room). Only my ficus plants live in the south room now, and I've had to take my succulents outside into my garden (also northern). I'm not sure what I plan to do with them once winter rolls around...guess there is plenty of floor space. I have an eastern dining room that only houses one plant (China Doll)...that could work. In the northern room, I have a few different sansevierias, ZZ plant, lots of Jade plants, one peace lily and Dracaena fragrans as well as a Peperomia or two. Kicked outside for the moment are about 20 succulents (that normally lived inside), a Pachira, more ficus cuttings of elastica and benjamina, a maidenhair fern and couple other Sans. Oh and a boatload of Jade and other Crassula plants that have done well indoors previously or are new cuttings.

I take it you guys do not, but I get a little fed up with managing small plants in the house. I like my big guys, and they do fine on their own with no help from me for a good long while. But these days--and it wasn't like this in my 30s but 40s is a new beast--I find the whole process of lugging out my plants to water and fertilize quite tedious. Once, or at best, twice a month, I have my guy lug them all outside before work, I do what I do all day, and then he lugs them all back in after work, LOL. Because of the infrequent watering, I adjust all of my soil for those plants accordingly to make sure they will be okay. Well, if they weren't, they would just have to die a slow death because I know I ain't gonna get any more diligent from here.

But whoever it was up above that had the window shelving installed, you did make me want to remove all the plantation shutters in the south room and do the same for a minute or two. LOL