ec120bdh@sdcc3.UUCP (MATTHEW SCHOLZ) (01/17/86)
Hi, I've grown tired of looking at barf green bathroom walls. I looked through those wonderful 'spruce up your house for $9 E99+ ' books, and rather than junk the bathroom and turn it into some sort of deco art studio where the toilet is designed to look like a pacman or something, I decided to just green the bathroom up a bit with plants...really. I'm serious. PROBLEM: both my wife and I have incredible black thumbs... plants just recoil in horror instinctively when we go to a greenhouse, so what I need is ideas on plants that can put up with the following conditions: 1) lots of humidity from the shower 2) lack of sunlight-the bath only has one small window-away from sunlight 3) neglect from owners...we tend to forget to water on a regular basis, and are clueless on plant food, 'grow stakes', etc. *ANY* help would be greatly appreciated except help which is no help at all like: Well with your ability, you should settle for putting pet rocks in there, or cactus... thanks in advance, sdcc3!ec120bdh Matt
kolling@decwrl.DEC.COM (Karen Kolling) (01/18/86)
> I've grown tired of looking at barf green bathroom walls. > ..... I decided to just green the bathroom up a bit with plants... > PROBLEM: ... so what I need is ideas on plants that can put up with: > 1) lots of humidity from the shower > 2) lack of sunlight > 3) neglect from owners > *ANY* help would be greatly appreciated except help which is no > help at all like: Well with your ability, you should settle for > putting pet rocks in there, or cactus... What a good question, I'd like to know too, except please include plants that are given SOME care by the owners. At first guess, I'd say a Sansavierra (sp?) would survive, since they seem to be able to survive anything, but they are really ugly. Cacti would surely rot from the humidity and lack of light. Is anyone keeping a fern (what type?) alive in these conditions? Maybe a wandering jew? (P.S. maybe paint the walls, at least.)
reid@glacier.ARPA (Brian Reid) (01/19/86)
We have had remarkable luck with African violets in our bathroom. Although they get no direct sunlight they do sit on a windowsill. They love the steam and moisture. I had always thought that an African violet was a delicate plant, but these have had virtually no attention besides intermittent water. None have died on us; some are as old as 4 years. -- Brian Reid decwrl!glacier!reid Stanford reid@SU-Glacier.ARPA
rws@gypsy.UUCP (01/20/86)
If all else fails, the quality of silk flowers has improved dramatically in the last few years! Bob Schwanke Siemens Research Princeton, NJ 08540-6668 seismo!princeton!siemens!rws
gooley@uicsl.UUCP (01/20/86)
Plants for a bathroom... Possibly a fern would survive under such conditions; many ferns don't need very much light and are quite fond of humid air. Philodendrons can stand poor light and neglect, but they are rather ordinary plants -- they tend to get tiresome after a while. Wandering-jews prefer a bit of sunlight, I think. Not all cacti would rot. Epiphytic cacti, such as epiphyllums, Rhipsalis, and their relatives, are native to rain forests and prefer moisture (provided that they have extremely coarse, fast-draining soil; some experts suggest a mixture of unscreened garden compost and small gravel) and filtered light. A bathroom with a window might be a good place for them. They don't look much like the usual desert cacti: a few small spines or none at all, multiple leaf-shaped stems, a bright green color. The flowers vary from tiny (1/4") to huge (1'). Not always easy plants to find. Some specialist greenhouses in California sell them by mail order ($2.00 up for a rooted cutting) and a few seed companies have hybrid epiphyllum seed (Thompson & Morgan, Park) at rather high prices.
ems@amdahl.UUCP (ems) (01/20/86)
There is a very sturdy plant called 'witches tongue' or something
similar. I don't know the proper name. It is a *VERY* tough
customer - both physically and biologically. My roomate had one
once. Sometimes it got watered. Sometimes with coffee. Sometimes
with beer. Sometimes with ...
Sometimes it got light too. Then there was the time we dusted
it off because it was getting cobwebs... The nearest thing to
an indestructable plant I have ever seen. It forms vertical
flat green leaves that resemble the tips of African spears in
old Tarzan movies.
Also try Wandering Jew. It may need to be stuffed back in the pot
from time to time; but usually does well in low light and high
humidity areas.
You might also try putting in another light for the plants.
It would make the whole bathroom nicer too...
Then there are ferns ...
--
E. Michael Smith ...!{hplabs,ihnp4,amd,nsc}!amdahl!ems
This is the obligatory disclaimer of everything.df@ptsfa.UUCP (Dave Fox) (01/21/86)
> PROBLEM: ... so what I need is ideas on plants that can put up with: > 1) lots of humidity from the shower > 2) lack of sunlight > 3) neglect from owners I've been keeping a rabbit's foot fern alive in my bahroom for about two years now. It's in a poor container too - a ceramic swan hanger with no drainage. I lined the swan with the dried moss stuff you get at most plant sections of the store, then lined a plastic strawberry container with enough moss so dirt wouldn't fall through. Plant into container with more potting soil (very loamy - no sand, you want the moisture to stay around the roots), then container into swan and some more soil around the top. It does require some care - I heft the swan to see how light it is. When it seems a little light, I water - some plant food every few weeks. This is hardly scientific - I neglect it regularly and it rewards me with browning out some of its nicer leaves, but I haven't killed it yet and when I do get it right it looks very lush. Good luck. Dave Fox ..!ptsfa!df
jak@whuxlm.UUCP (Keegan Joan) (01/21/86)
> > There is a very sturdy plant called 'witches tongue' or something > similar. I don't know the proper name. It is a *VERY* tough > customer - both physically and biologically. My roomate had one > once. Sometimes it got watered. Sometimes with coffee. Sometimes > with beer. Sometimes with ... > -- > E. Michael Smith ...!{hplabs,ihnp4,amd,nsc}!amdahl!ems This sounds like a "snake plant" - real name "sanseveria" (sp?). I agree - it's pretty indestructible. Not good for hanging, though, since it really just grows up. It will reproduce itself by sending up baby plants from its roots. I've seen these at least 3' tall, so it might work well in a corner also. Joan Keegan AT&T (Bell Laboratories) ..!whuxlm!whuxlg!jak
slb@drutx.UUCP (Sue Brezden) (01/21/86)
>There is a very sturdy plant called 'witches tongue' or something >similar. I don't know the proper name. It is a *VERY* tough >customer - both physically and biologically. I've always heard it as "mother-in-law's tongue". (And as a pagan who isn't yet a mother-in-law, I prefer it that way :-) An amazing if unlovely plant that you can't kill if you try. I got one from my grandmother, who had stored it in her very dark basement for 5 years. She didn't really want it and sort of hoped it would die. It was still green. -- Sue Brezden ihnp4!drutx!slb ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ To search for perfection is all very well, But to look for heaven is to live here in hell. --Sting ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
arnold@hpfcla.UUCP (01/21/86)
Matt, Almost (there are a few that grow underground, etc.) all plants need light of some sort. So, if you are serious about wanting no care plants in the bathroom you could try silk plants -- dust them once in a while. If, on the other hand you are willing to put a little more effort into it you could either use artificial lighting (cool white works fine) or rotate the plants into the bathroom for a week or so at a time with the rest of the time being spent by a window with more light. Boston ferns, African violets, certain types of oxalis, and philodendrons are some good candidates. Keep on trying until you find something that you are successful with. "OOPS, I've KILLED another FERN" arnie
seb@mtgzz.UUCP (s.e.badian) (01/23/86)
Ferns are a prime candidate for bathrooms. The humidity is rarely a problem, you just don't have to water your plants as often. They will do well in low light (just think about where a fern usually grows - on the forest floor where there is not a lot of light). And ferns are pretty easy to take care of. Another possibility is a pothos or a philodendron. They'll grow anywhere. Light is not a problem. And they look good in a hanging pot. Very easy to grow. Sharon Badian ihnp4!mtgzz!mtgzy!seb
sandel@milano.UUCP (01/25/86)
Several people have recommended ferns for bathroom shower plants. A staghorn or elkhorn fern, mounted on a piece of bark (redwood or cedar are good rot-resistant choices) would love to live in your shower. They require low to medium light, good humidity and good drainage. -- Charles Sandel arpa: sandel@mcc.arpa uucp: *!ut-sally!im4u!milano!sandel (or *!ut-sally!charles) snail: MCC STP, 9430 Research Blvd., Austin, Tx, 78759 "Modern times: not much fun, but efficient..."
stu16@whuxl.UUCP (SMITH) (01/27/86)
> > PROBLEM: ... so what I need is ideas on plants that can put up with: > > 1) lots of humidity from the shower > > 2) lack of sunlight > > 3) neglect from owners > Any of the Asparagus ferns do wonderfully in bathrooms. You will probably have to give them a haircut every so often, because they love the humidity. If the room is a sunny one, marantas will do well also. -- whuxl!stu16