Another excuse to get you back in there, LOL. Very nice plants.

Like I need an excuse . . . well actually, I use taking classes there as an excuse, just to browse of course, but I have mixed feelings about months when there's no class I want to take. LOL.

I operate a bit similar. Just recently had an excuse to go to the nursery and ended up getting 3 plants, within my budget. But forgot to get one that I really wanted, Lady Slipper Vine, Thunbergia mysorensis. Then the other day I couldn't hold out any longer and just drove in again and got it. Could do worse I suppose. I don't drink or smoke, so got to have some sort of a vice, LOL.

Right!! I've been eying some really gorgeous cordylines, but they seem to only be selling them three to a pot, and they are BIG pots, and I'm not sure about space for that right now . . . (I also prefer to spend less money than BIG pots of plants cost, especially with plants I don't know well). I'm worried my resolve may slip during the next visit, space concerns or no. I wish they were selling small plants, not just 2-gallon pots.

Don't come here expecting support in fighting off your compulsions. You're more likely to become more corrupted, led down the proverbial garden path, LOL.

How does the price of 3 in a larger pot compare to 3 singles in smaller pots?

Oooh, going down a garden path sounds like a field trip!!

If I wanted 3, then I'm guessing, based on their typical prices for smaller plants, it would probably make sense to buy the big pot, even if the total cost for the big pot was a bit higher, because I'd get bigger plants.

I've been tortured all week over this, and probably previous weeks, too, it's just become really more apparent now: whenever I go to use the restrooms in my office building, I walk through an atrium, and when I look out the windows, I can look across the street into the lobby of another building, and in that lobby is a quite attractive plant that looks strikingly like these cordylines I've been eying. LOL

And to make matters worse, I just rearranged some things to put more plants closer to some of my windows, which means I've rediscovered a spot of floor that could probably hold a large pot . . .

And the plant sale is still going through next weekend.

How does that quote go, "Lead me not into temptation, I can find the way myself"?

Whilst Caletheas are beautiful, they can be tricky to grow. They need a lot of humidity and heat. I have two, my larger one tells me when I forgot to water it, the small one is in my bathroom so it hasn't told me much of anything. There were some stunning ones at the greenhouse I went to last weekend. I am wondering if I should try some more of these finicky plants because the variegation on the one was stunning. It calling me back!

They are kind of addictive, aren't they?? I've had two since last August, a lancifolia and one that's probably a roseopicta "Medallion," and other than having to treat them for spider mites in November, they seem to be doing okay, so I hope that trend continues; I think I only let one of them actually dry out once, and I learned my lesson! I didn't know when I bought them that they were relatively tricky plants, or I might have passed them up.

Well. It seems much bigger in my apartment than at the nursery, but I think I've moved around the other plants well enough to fit it in (not the spot where photographed). It's so vibrant!

Wow! That's a beautiful plant I can see why you went back for it.

That is a beautiful cordyline. Make sure it gets a lot of light, but no sudden changes from low light to sunlight.

Thank you :D I'm kind of a sucker for plants with intense pink or purple or red foliage . . .

tropicbreezent, how would you suggest I deal with winter here? We can have days, or even weeks, where it's so overcast we get just a few hours of real sunlight, but then we can have a full-on sunny day. Or even two or more in a row!! (I live for those.) I know plants can get sunburned through windows, and we can go from gloom to bright quickly, which doesn't seem like time for the plant to adjust. (I don't think it was placed in the nursery where it would be getting any direct sunlight, so I may move it some from where it currently is - it should get some direct sunlight in mid-late afternoon.)

My favorite among the Calathea is Calathea makoyana. Some of the purple ones can be tricky in the house, but this one is really easy. Will post a pic of mine later.

Here in NJ, after the blizzard, it is crystal blue sunshine...without a cloud in the sky. The two feet of snow outside is also makes for a great solar reflector. Need sunglasses indoors! LOL

I saw the sun for a few minutes earlier today, it was amazing!!

What makes the purple ones trickier indoors - light levels or humidity?

I think it's mostly humidity levels (low ones) in the dead of winter. Still, some really are easier than others. I also love the plain green Maranta (Prayer Plant)..., as it was one my grandma's favorites.

Keep in mind that colored and variegated plants need more light than green ones to survive. They can't photosynthesize well. While humidity is a big factor too, I'd wager light is going to be a problem in PNW unless you can supplement it somehow.

Yeah, I've been worried about light this winter, since now I have a lot more plants that seem to be more particular about that than my ficus and spider plants have been (and I'm sure they'd benefit from more light, too). I haven't started the research into how to set up any supplemental lighting yet, but it's been on my mind.

I got a hygrometer about 10 days ago, and so far it seems the humidity ranges between about 40 and 60%, but most often is in the upper 40s . . . which I know is still "low" for what some of the plants would like, but I was concerned that my heating (forced air) would be sending humidity really low.

You can use pebble trays and misting to up the humidity. Pebble trays work better for the long haul Or you can double pot your plant. Get a pot that doesn't drain about 2 inches larger that its pot all around and put a little aquarium charcoal and about an inch or two of perlite or sphagnum moss in the bottom then put in your pot and pack the moss or perlite around the pot and use sphagnum as a top dressing then wet the material between the pots. This works better when you have your plant in a clay pot, but the concept is still the same. Only wet it enough to soak down into the bottom layer, not up around the pot. The water will wick up and cause a lot of humidity.

Only because I had the camera out today. This one I bought from the discount rack for $3. When I bought it it was the best looking of the marked down plants. It still had a few leaves that were upright. I took a couple of stakes from an orchid I had and propped it up. It still droops when it's thirsty but it looks much better than it did when I got it. It's told me a few times it doesn't like how infrequent I water it. I've since learned that about once every 4-5 days is the most it will go without complaining.

and this one hasn't complained yet. I suppose it likes my bathroom enough and gets enough humidity.

Interestingly enough, they can be overwatered. I put one in my shade house and forgot about it. The automatic irrigation lets me do that. Some time later I noticed the plant was showing extreme signs of over watering and was soon dead. I moved it out of the way (and away from the sprinklers) as one of those 'tomorrow clean-up jobs' and then forgot about it again ( we all know about mañana). After a couple of months it's now got a new healthy leaf coming up.

I have purchased this twice and the edged dry up and curl and die. I've always had rare houseplants what am I doing wrong??