houseplants – StyleNectar

Though the leaves on the tall oaks have thinned considerably, our window panes remain candy boxes of red, orange and gold. That time of year again. Halloween days away. When we shut off the outdoor spigots for fear of frost and burst pipes. And we've waited til the last possible minute to lug in the remains of the garden, the salvageable herbs that can be brought in for the winter and then taken back out again next spring!

What a thrill it is to invite these summer friends back inside! Fragrant, bountiful greenery at a time when the rest of nature is going into hibernation. We spray off mossy pots and turn them on end to lift our new housemates to sunny heights! Each morning they quiver with joy as I mist them all over. (Thanks for the suggestion Pamela!)

And I am beside myself… adding fresh mint to my honey tea, oregano to my egg salad sandwiches, sage browned butter over gnocchi (recipe coming soon)… It feels like Christmas to me! I suppose it's the sudden population of frangrant greenery that brings me back. A lovely prelude to the holidays!

Peppermint loves his new digs in the Dining Room!

Rosemary thinks her new room-mate, Peppermint, is kinda cute!

Oregano and Sage are particularly fond of their daily spray bottle mistings.

One happy family! (L to R) Rosemary #2 in the breakfast room alongside roomies Spearmint, Sage & Oregano!

"Corn plants are impossible to kill," Dale, the garden center guy, told me yesterday. He hadn't seen mine. Two of its three stalks are now leafless, bringing me to the garden center for a replacement. Sorry Corn Plant 🙁

But all's well that end's well.

Having received Dale's top 5 water & fertilizer tips, I've since clipped Corn Plant's (CP) remaining dead brown leaves and found him a flattering new home in back of a tall chair. We truly feel as though he's going to make a full recovery. And as if that's not fabulous enough, it does get better. A brand-healthy-new Parlor Palm now sits proudly in CP's old corner. I'm pleased as punch. Here's to hoping Dale's plant-savvy has rubbed off on me.

Now I certainly hope my challenges do not in any way dissuade you from inviting a plant into your own home. While they do require some specific care, the exciting memories and good times they add to your life are priceless. (lol)

In fact, there are several ways I enjoy bringing a touch of the wild into my home, not only via rare tropicals (jk) like CP, but with furry beasts and flying friends too. Perhaps the reason we're so attracted to nature and animals is they're perpetually authentic, unlike us humans, forever cloaked in the drama of our personalities.

Do you have some favorites also? I'd love to hear about them.

Parlor Palm. Found the little butterflies hanging from the plants in a flower shop in Budapest.