My boys tell me I "love" them more then them since I give plants breakfast first:) and husband is counting the days when we wont have a place to sit down anymore. It's still all good. At least I haven't had new ones this summer. Too much work.

Yeah, my guy was concerned about the number of plants I have too. I just told him "Hey, it's my hobby. I can afford it, it brings me enjoyment, and I don't feel it hurts anyone." I also pointed out that he has a very large collection of music and I don't hassle him over having too many albums.
Over time there has been enough attrition that although we have many plants I don't think it's totally excessive. I've also started getting more into small/miniature plants to save space. Miniature orchids and miniature violets are fun. :)

My Husband loves the plants.

I would say she tolerates my hobby as I have a taste for odd plants. She knows I am obsessed with 'green things' and if we go anywhere and theres plants on sale I say Look, green things! And she has to drag me away.
She does like some plants, and thought some of my little succys were cute, but is not a big plant fan like me.

Plants now come last on my hierarchy of important "things ". Though I used to pack them all throughout my sun filled house, I've given away or sold nearly all. I love the open space a whole lot more than I ever loved all of those plants.

Elkay, great topic.

If there happens to be a problem, my advice, 'use psychology.'

I'm beautifying the house.
Plants cleanse the air.
Plant was on sale, couldn't pass it up. Do you realize how much 'x' would have cost at full price?

If family still don't get it..

What about you? Look at all this junk?
You spend a lot of money on beer!
What about your hobbies? Mine happen to be plants.

Last resort.

You're sleeping on the couch.
GET OUT! lol

Actually, my dh doesn't mind..well, he grumbles when browsing cc statement, but a little sweet talk works like a charm.

In fact, he has a few plants at his office, also he too has brought home plants...heck, he gave me a gh one Christmas, so if anything, he's enabling me. lol.

Maybe he's guilty, but every so often when catalogs are shipped here, he browses through them, asking if I have this or that plant.
Problem is, we get catalogs from a certain nursery..don't want to mention names..he assumes plant is going to look like the picture.. Thankfully, shipping is very expensive, so he normally passes up a plant I don't have.

Oh no forget open space, I want to live in a jungle, wall to wall plants. That would be heaven!

Interesting question. Can't say that I've ever been with anyone, roommate or romance, who wasn't somewhere in the range of enthusiastic to slightly interested. I suppose there are plant humbugs out there, but I've been lucky not to pair with any, and am guilty of exposing the latent plantophile in several people.

Agreed, Toni. It's a fact that plants inside improve the air quality, so that's a good reason to pack in every one you can find and fit that has a reasonable chance of surviving the experience. Instead of just having 1 plant hanging per window, at least 3 should fit. My son and my honey said it's fine with them if we (I) put some stuff away for winter to make room for more plants. Really, as long as I don't hide their "good stuff" and there's still room to walk from place to place, these guys don't care what I do with the house.

If you ask the non-plant people for ideas about plants, they often have really cool, uninhibited ones. Try it!

Rhizo, is that English? I didn't comprehend your statement. Taken at face value, it seemed like you were saying "I've given away or sold nearly all. I love the open space a whole lot more than I ever loved all of those plants." Madness! Auto-correct troubles?

My husband has been pretty supportive. Especially since he has bad allergies, the incentive of plants helping clean the air has been a good one. I've already taken over the outside with containers, so I think houseplants taking over our inside was only natural.

I'm also a cheapo plant shopper, so he is proud of my bargain hunting and doesn't mind when I bring home a new plant baby. (Though he hates plant shopping with me, because he says I only find the bargains when I'm by myself!)

I had an accident last night and knocked over a pot with a brand new cutting in it, and he was annoyed with gardening for the first time as he helped me vacuum up all the dirt that exploded around the room at 11pm. He suggested relocating the pots, but they have nowhere to go! Plus, this was a clumsy issue, not a pot issue! :) He'll get over it, and hopefully I can remember to be patient the next time he has a clumsy moment.

Plants do improve air quality, during the day. But at night they switch over to producing CO2, which is why hospitals frown upon visitors bringing in plants!

Most of our plants are by the windows so we have plenty of room. They dont interfere with the interior space at all. When we built the house, we designed it so we could have a plant area. Now I need some macrame's so I can hang some. they are hard to find.

Great topic!!

My DH is a funny man.. He loves the plants when they are in bloom and we have guest over. He talks about them, shows them around the yard.. He even shows the Palms that "I" planted 18 years ago in the backyard like he planted them from seed.. LOL..

I know he likes them, but when i have all of my Plumeria out on the deck, pool area and they wrap around the fence area he sometimes develops what we call over on the Plumeria Forum his " eye allergy" only when they start to roll their eyes.. WHen the mailman comes around he starts that "twitch" in the eye area. I just chuckle to myself because my friends say to offer him some eye drops..

:-)

When they are inside he makes comments that i have to many. Then when spring arrives and i take them outside, he says it looks so bare inside. HUH?

I know he likes them, but he does make it known that i have to many. When he has to water when i out of town sometimes in the summer.. he once counted my containers and said i had 60. I just turned around smiled and thought ... " i'm glad he really didn't keep a good tally on my containers.. I have more than that.."

Most of us have good company when it comes to our plants..

Since most of my trees are dormant during the winter, i can concentrate on the other trees that i love.. ;-)

Get those "eye drops ready" Some may need them when we bring in all of those plants for the summer.. LOL..

Take care,

Laura

Sad to say, I dont think he notices my plants anymore.
Used to be an enabler, I remember getting this beautiful
terrarium filled with plants for a birthday many years ago.

Somewhere along the way my interest in plants skyrocketed and his dwindled. To give him credit, he has never objected to any plant I have bought or money spent so that is good.

well he has his celestials (he loves astronomy) and I have my terrestials and that is the status quo.

Usha

This is when i need the "edit" button... I mean winter!!

: )

Laura

Understandable Freudian slip, Laura!

Purple, thank you..Dh's/DW's/SO's should realize how healthy they are because of our plants.. :)

Rhizo, I was going to ask the same question Purple did, but forgot..What do you mean? You haven't any plants now? What happened? Not even one?

I have a small place of my own and everyone who comes in calls it a "jungle". I wouldn't have it any other way.

My boyfriend says he doesn't mind, but always jokes that I am going to invade all of the empty spaces when we buy a home!

OHH BOY....this is a good one LOL....

My lovely children (aged 10 and 12 years old) love calling me a plantaholic..they always know that when we get seperated at stores that they can find me in the plant section. And they always warn when they bring over new friends to not ask their mother about any of the plants cause she wont stop talking about them if you get her started on the plants LOL.

I've also started my mother on plants, I have several cuttings rooting for her. I wish I had more friends that live around me that where into plants like I am so I could have someone to talk to about them ( and share and trade plants with and all that good stuff). I do have a friend that was into the houseplant boom of the 70's, but when she got divorced in the late 70's, and had to leave her big house for an apartment, so she gave away/sold all her plants. But she will talk to me about them and give me advise, and loves to come over and see my new plants. Bu her health has declined over the past several years so she only keeps a very few small plants now...

Also I just started seeing a new guy (after not dating anyone for over 5 years) and he knows about my plant addiction and think it's a good hobby. Which is good, cause I would NEVER stop my plant hobby/collecting for any guy...no guy is worth it to me LOL...kinda like my children and my dogs, if any guy I date dont like them, then don't let the door hit their butt on the way out.

-FPT

OOOOOOHHHH boy, you are not kidding...lol

I find that one living with me HATES my plants and the other can't stop touching my plants..I don't one which one is worst?

Mike

FPT, good for you! I had given up and also went for a long time, (3 years the last time,) until I met someone "real." Hope yours turns out to be a keeper also! Oh this is lame but we met on the internet and realized we lived about 1/2 mile from each other. Weird, huh? I agreed to meet him in person the first time if he would walk over to my house. I don't know why but that felt less intimidating. We dated for about a year and a half, then went camping, and he just never went back to his house after that. He is extremely accommodating, supportive, and helpful with the plants and yard, and even showed up with some unsolicited bags of mulch one day a couple months ago. His Mom is also a plant lover, and she and I enable each other terribly, and I try to help with her plants because she's not able to do much bending and lifting. I wish everyone could have the same peace and tranquility.

Good luck to you too, goddess!

Mike, touching the plants? Oh that's going way too far! Hopefully they ask permission first! LOL j/k!

Maybe this forum needs a "romance" section in addition to the off-topic conversations section. Folks could meet other plantophiles and at least have the basics covered before the 1st date.

Good for you, ladies and gents.

Purple, romance/plant section..lol.

I wish everyone here who has Met Their Match, be it online or another source the best of luck and many happy years together.

Oh goodness, it would be intimidating meeting someone new.
Purple, what a lucky find..down the street! Funny in a good way.

Thanks Toni, I met my partner online 11 years ago, and she's not killed me yet ;)