We’re trying a new house plant on for size here at Casa Petersik, which might sound about as newsworthy as “John got a haircut,” but it’s actually quite a big deal for us. See, we usually stick with what we know in the plant department (read all about the plants that we know and love right here). So who’s the new guy in town?
Why this fantastic feathery asparagus fern that we fell in love with at Home Depot (in an already-owned planter that was gifted by a friend a while back). While swooning over our new housemate, we were sure to ask the garden people if it was easy to kill and two separate experts vehemently denied it – and actually referred to it as quite a hardy little thing. It just looks so light and vulnerable. I guess time will tell…
So far we’ve been enjoying his company for two weeks in the bathroom and he’s been looking as happy as a clam in there.
Ferns love moisture so a steamy bathroom fits the bill. And believe it or not we actually haven’t watered it once in the last two weeks (even though the tag says “high moisture plant”) since the steam from the shower seems to be keeping him happy. We’ve learned our lesson when it comes to overwatering things, so we wait for plants to look limp or for the soil to feel dry before adding water (and so far this guy has dodged that bullet).
We’ll keep you posted on our new house plant’s status as time goes by (cross your fingers that it doesn’t cross over from “alive ” to “not alive”). And while we’re on the subject, what kind of house plants are tried and true at your house? Do you have any that you find impossible to kill? Or others that you just can’t keep alive? Let’s talk about greenery that’s super easy and fresh looking… and anything that you think we should avoid for fear of killing it in record time.
Psst- Wanna know about all the other plants that live it up in Casa Petersik? Look no further.
katy says
It is HARD to kill an asparagus fern!! I’ve got 2 growing in my planter in my front yard and it’s 100 degrees here in Phoenix. When we moved in, the planter had been neglected for a loooooong time and when we went to pull everything out, the only salvagable plants were the asparagus fern. They’re both thriving and huge!! I water mine almost every day, but like I said, Im in Phoenix and it’s hot and dry here!
LindaS says
Asparagus Ferns love the bathroom – it should do really well there! But make sure you keep Burger away from it & trim off any berries from it before they drop & he eats them. The plant is really toxic for dogs – we had one but it gave my little dog a bad skin rash when he brushed against it. :(
YoungHouseLove says
Ooh good tip LindaS! Will do!
xo,
s
Lynne says
I’m sure this has already been covered (sorry I’m short on time otherwise I’d go through the pages of comments) but be a bit careful with this one. If it gets into your garden it’s hard to get rid of. And as it gets bigger it develops camouflaged spikes which hook on you when you brush past it, or stick in your hands when you try to re-pot etc.
Vanessa L says
The first plants I ever had were an aloe plant and a few succulents in a large pot. They lasted about a month before my black thumb got to them. Everyone told me they were impossible to kill, but apparently not!
The only plant I have now is a philodendron vine. I broke off one leaf from a friend’s plant, and instead of planting it, I stuck it in a mason jar full of water. All I do is fill the water back up when it starts to get low (no more trying to guess if the soil is dry enough), and it has been growing like crazy! Plus, it’s a gorgeous plant, I love the look of the leaves.
I would love to have a fern, it’s my favorite plant, but I’m not sure I’m up for that challenge yet!
Vesna @ the redhead crafts says
Hi there!
When I commented on your website 2 days ago, I forgot to say that you have such amazing ideas here! It’s really inspirational to see what other people do and create and how do they make their ideas come true. :)
Never lived in a house, but would love to have one, a smaller one because I have so many plans but no space unfortunately :D
Keep up the good work!
About this plant – it looks so nice and really bright. I’m sure it brings up your bathroom :) Never thought of having a plant in bathroom :)
Pamela says
Looks like you have an asparagus plumosus, rather than that “thorny” one, aparagus sprengeri. I’ve managed to let the former die, while I’ve had some beautiful specimen sizes of the latter that lasted for years (outdoors in the summer, shedding inside in the winter). Just read a great blog entry about the plumosus: http://plantsarethestrangestpeople.blogspot.com/2008/02/fraternity-asparagus-spp.html
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks for the tip Pamela! Sounds like you really know your plants!
xo,
s
Anna says
I agree with Emily, spider plants are impossible to kill. I’ve also had wonderful luck with pothos.
amanda h says
African violets – I’ve had the same one (in the same pot) for about two years now. Just a splash of water once a week or so, and it’s really happy. A little bit more water keeps the flowers on it longer, but the green stays nice all year round!
Emily Anderson says
When I read the post headline I thought for sure you were going to be talking about whether or not your pee smelled after you ate asparagus. Glad that wasn’t the topic. =) Pretty plant by the way.
patrice says
I love ferns too. But I just recently killed 2 really pretty ones I got to put inside my empty fireplace. I saw it in some decorating pics and decided to try it myself. But I think they wanted more sun…oh, and more water ;)
Going the Home Depot route is perfect though…just keep your receipts and if they EVER DIE you can get your money back. It’ll give John a little more practice getting past his aversion to returning things ;)
Sarah says
Speaking of plants…have you seen the news story on abcnews.com today? An Arizona family transformed their backyard pool into a garden, tilapia pond and chicken coop! Thought you’d enjoy it!
http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/family-grows-garden-backyard-swimming-pool/story?id=11533755
YoungHouseLove says
No way! Off to check it out!
xo,
s
Deana says
I bet you’ve answered this question before, but I still have to ask! What color is that on the walls in your bathroom? I am desperately seeking a great shade of green for my walls!
YoungHouseLove says
It’s Benjamin Moore’s Dune Grass color matched to Olympic No-VOC paint. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Lauren says
Awesome! I may have to try a little plant like that in my bathroom.
Jennifer says
I had 2 asparagus ferns I ended up giving away. 1) My cat LOVED to eat them. They are not good for cats and 2) Same problem someone else mentioned – leaves fall off everywhere. Everywhere. However, mine was a little different than yours – the leaves were bigger and the plant did not look as feathery. So perhaps you will not encounter the same problem.
My go-to plant of choice is the spider plant. You can’t kill them. Some of my spider plants are a good 10-15 years old and have moved at least 4 times. They’re super easy to care for, very low maintenance, and good for cleaning the air. (I’ve read that on a number of websites and in magazine articles). They’re also easy to propagate – the plant sends off long shoots with “babies” developing on the end. Pull the babies off the shoot, place them in water until they root, and you have yourself a whole new plant.
Cheryl says
like the whole idea of “styling” the back of the toilet — asparagus fern looks great.
Robyn in Chicago says
I love succulents…but for some reason can’t keep them alive. Even though they are supposed to be easy! I am on my 4th one and have a friend helping me. Ha – he is a master succulent owner, so I call in for tips.
candace @ thecandace.com says
What a perky little new friend you have – I love the shot of green in your bathroom! Currently, I live in a townhome and my dream one day is to have a house that has a bright sunny kitchen. I want a little window to grow fresh herbs all year long. Until that happens (which won’t be for a loooong time) – I’ll have stick with the plants that I have now. In my bathroom, I have baby tears (very delicate pretty leaves) and an ivy in hanging wall planter. In the office – I have a spike plant, another ivy and a ponytail palm (that’s my favorite!). In the living room – I have another ivy. Those seem to work well for me! At my office, I have an aloe and two more ivys. Plants are good for the soul!
Shantel says
I received a Bromeliad from a friend for a present. My husband and I were a little hesitant because we have consistently managed to kill every plant we have ever owned. However, we have loved it! It is a very hardy plant and you only have to water it once a week if it needs it. Not only that, it is beautiful.
Autumn says
I love my hoyas! I’m pretty good at killing plants, so a few years back when my Mom gave me her 25 year old hoya plant, I was terrified that her choice would result in the end of that poor plant’s long life. Despite my skill in forgetting to water my plants for weeks at a time, I’ve managed to not only keep it alive, but produce more plants by taking cuttings off of it!
Meaghan says
That is definitely a pretty plant… and I LOVE the green color of the bathroom walls!!
Lauren says
In front of our kitchen window/sink, we were given a “money tree” that does really well and looks great. We just take some water from a glass that was left out overnight every now and then and pour some in there. We also have a plant in the family room that looks like it could be a corn plant. One of my best friends would always come over and say “awww the house looks so cozy…we need a plant!” :)
keri says
i swear by grobal’s self watering pots – I got one as a christmas gift last year, and now I have one plant that is sure to escape my black thumb! (and they’re cute!) I planted a succulent in it in January, loaded the pot up with water as per the instructions, and haven’t touched it since!!!
Also, I’ve had awesome luck with plants from IKEA – they must anticipate black thumb-ers like me, and stock with plant breeds that are hardy and low maintenance – everything I’ve gotten from there, I haven’t killed!
Iryna @ RenewStuff says
This plant looks beautiful! It reminds me of my childhood – I grew up in an Eastern European country where asparagus ferns were quite common houseplants.
I’ve been contemplating cut flowers/leaves in the bathroom, but this inspires me to perhaps try out the “greenness” of my proverbial thumb :)
Sherri says
Are you planning on eating it? I might have some questions about that, since it’s sitting on your toilet…
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, nope. There will be no eating of the asparagus plant in the bathroom.
xo,
s
MistyK says
You guys are great! We are closing on our first home tomorrow and I have gotten so so many ideas from you guys! Can’t wait to get my hands dirty and get to work…
As for plants…I was thinking if you like mint it would be a very easy plant to have…impossible to kill (I’ve tried)but it smells nice and you can use it for tea and cooking!
Good luck!
Ashley says
Hi Guys! Just wondering how your little fern is doing now that he’s been living in the bathroom for over a month. Is he still green and perky? I’m having such a difficult time finding a plant for my bathroom because we don’t get much light in there. Guess I’ll have to do some more research…
YoungHouseLove says
Oh boy do we owe you an update. It’s not dead yet but it’s kind of yellow and sad looking. Might be on its last leg. Stay tuned for an update post soon.
xo,
s
DIABI says
je voudrai savoir si quelqu’un peux peux me donner des des renseignement consernant ces plante mon mail est [email protected]
)eannie says
Love those little ferns..so soft and green. Dang now I have to go get one too.
Teri says
I’ve had my eye on an asparagus fern for a few months now, but I’m a serial houseplant murderer, so I’ve been too afraid to actually bring it home. Then I remembered you all had posted about this one. It took me a while to find it, but I figured I’d ask for some pointers before I sentence it (I will name her Eleanor) to death.
So.. a year later .. This guy still around?
YoungHouseLove says
Sadly… she’s dead: https://www.younghouselove.com/2010/10/todays-project/
xo,
s
Virginia says
I seriously kill all plants. I bought a plant the other day that could also be dried… I felt the leaves after several weeks of watering it and realized I had reached the dried state. Why do plants hate me? They are harder to care for then children??
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, we ended up killing this guy. So sad!
xo,
s
Erin says
what ever happened to this little guy?
YoungHouseLove says
He sadly passed on to plant heaven about 7 months later. But that’s not a bad run for us. Haha.
xo,
s
Victoria says
Love the blog. The asparagus looks great.
Just FYI, it will get huge if you let it, and grow for three years before sprouting the little stalks that you buy at the grocery store. They’ll come straight up through the ground next to the plant. Look for them in April or May! (Although you might need to transplant it to your garden before getting a harvest).
Vanessa says
Hey guys,
Wondering where you got the ceramic tray on top of your toilet? I have a tiny pedestal sink in my bathroom and it’s easier to keep soap and stuff on top the toilet right next to it.
Also, are you still using the soap dispenser? Did you ever notice any of the color coming off it? I’ve read reviews about the color apparently washing off that soap dispenser…
Thanks!
YoungHouseLove says
That was from Target in the serving dish area. Hope it helps! As for the soap dispenser, we still have it! We just use mild soap (Dr Bronners) so maybe that helps?
xo
s