Husbands. They’re an odd bunch.
Over the weekend I painted the little red desk I brought with us from the old house white so it would go with the interior of our new home. For the life of me I can’t remember if I paid $10 for the desk, or if I got it for free from the lady we bought our old dining room table and hutch from {remember that set? Oh it was the best!}.
Anywho…
I painted the desk white because I wanted to place it in the sun room and set a few houseplants on it for a punch of color {which will be especially welcoming during the winter months}.
So since the HH was headed to the Home Depot yesterday, I asked him to pick up a house plant for me. I believe my exact words were something leafy, green, short and NOT a cactus.
He balked a little at the whole shopping for a houseplant thing, but agreed to pick me up something that was leafy, green, short and NOT a cactus.
He brought home a lily.
Mavis: That is not a houseplant.
HH: Sure it is.
Mavis: Where did you find it? Was it INSIDE, in the house plant section?
HH: No, there wasn’t anything good in there.
Mavis {blank stare}
HH: So I went outside and… this looked okay.
Mavis: {blank stare}
HH: All you’ve got to do is put it in a pot, and bring it inside the house, and it’s a houseplant.
Mavis: Riiiight.
HH: Ask your people, you’ll see.
****************
So, curious minds want to know… Would you consider an Asiatic lily {from the outdoor perennial section of Home Depot} a house plant? You know, one that you would want to display inside your home?
~Mavis
Tracey says
Wellll… you can buy them at the grocery store at Easter and they’re packaged to be inside – so TECHNICALLY it COULD be an indoor plant.
Christa H. says
Lillies are poisonous to pets. My neighbors cat died from her walking a dead Easter lily to the trash can and a little piece of pollen must have fallen on the floor, then cat licked itself and died same day at the vet hospital. I just looked it up and it is dangerous to dogs too.
Mrs. C. says
Oh my gosh, thanks so much for posting about this!
Mrs. C. says
He’s cooking theses days, so he wins. 🙂
S usan Dillinger says
After it’s done blooming it’s out the door for me and in the ground. Inside for display of flowers only from the store.
Megan Carlsen says
I think it’s fair to say, if it’s a plant living inside, it’s by default a house plant.
Just because it isn’t a traditional house plant, doesn’t mean it’s wrong.
You words “leafy, green, short and NOT a cactus.” well he followed your instructions!
Wynne says
>from the outdoor perennial section of Home Depot}
Heh. Tangent: did you know you can plant amaryllis outside in the ground during spring-summer-fall for refreshing the bulb, or maybe even another bloom? So that’s a “houseplant” that can be treated like an outdoor one. Maybe the line is subjective. If the lilies aren’t poisonous to Lucy (concern #1), I would think you can decide based on whether you like the foliage, whether the plant stays healthy in a pot, and whether you can handle the intense perfume. If you ending up seeking another plant, and the HH wants flowers, my mom used to grow the coolest blooming houseplants, goldfish plant and lipstick plant. Etsy sellers offer them.
Pauline in Upstate NY says
Mavis, Mavis… Your HH is already a keeper by any standards. Cut the guy a little slack, could you, please?? In the garden arena, clearly you are the designer, the “big picture” person, and he does the heavy lifting (LOTS of it, I might add…). So what were you thinking outsourcing the houseplant selection process to him? Move the lily outside where sweet Lucy can’t get it, maybe even put it on the sidewalk with a “free” sign, and chalk this one up to $8.00 worth of experience. Then go tell your husband how much you love him…
Jill says
What she says ⬆️
Deborah Watson says
Legit
debbie in alaska says
Yes to this!
Amy says
Agreed.
And yes, I would agree with your husband that this technically could be a houseplant… put it in a white pot to match your others, balance out the arrangement of pots with tall in the center or something, and it could look nice if you like lilies (they aren’t my flower of choice, but I know others who love them!) However, factoring in the poisonous concern others have mentioned, and maybe it’s a lovely gift for a neighbor with no pets 🙂
Either way, your husband is a gem for giving it a go, and sticking to your “leafy, green, and not a cactus” instructions 🙂 he loves you, and sounds like a real keeper 🙂 “leafy, green, and not a cactus” leaves a huge range of possibilities… plant shopping… beauty truly is in the eye of the beholder.
My husband is also a keeper and a total gem, but he probably would have brought home a succulent with the comment “what, it’s got leaves, is green, and you can put it in the house…” I do my own plant shopping 😉
He gets props for trying – and maybe a homemade pie? 🙂
Richelle says
If the growing conditions align with what a plant needs, any of them could be a houseplant. Try a sansevieria or zamioculus zamifolia.
Diana says
Welp, unfortunately it really can’t be considered a houseplant except in the most technical terms. Asiatic lilies, since they are a perennial, will probably die back once they’re done blooming, in preparation for next year. I’d find a nice place to enjoy it OUTSIDE and set it in the ground so it can get established before winter sets in.
As for the houseplant, tell him to get you an African Violet.
Wendy Clark says
I have to agree with Mrs. C here. He’s cooking and being the handyman AND shopped for houseplants even though it wasn’t his “thing” so I would call it a houseplant and just have a good chuckle about it. 🙂
jj says
I happen to think it looks not too bad on the table. But with the experience I have had with lilies (not an awful lot mind you. I find they have a tendency to spread out and keep spreading. I started with four plants two years ago, now I have 20. I really think it would do much better outside. By the way Love your desk.
jj says
As well as having a tendency to spread they can grow up to 6 feet tall.
Robin in WI says
Technically not a house plant in the traditional sense of the word, but why not? A lot of the house plants we have here were growing outdoors in Hawaii, I noticed. If you can keep an outdoor plant alive indoors, go for it. I do it with roses and geraniums. Just be sure to look everything up online, as many plants are poisonous to dogs, cats, or both — poinsettias, peace lilies, etc. etc.
Lesley says
And … don’t you hate lilies? Or maybe just the orange ones.
Mavis Butterfield says
Pretty much all lilies. My mother’s favorite plant is the stargazer lily, so I do buy those for her but I am no lily fan, that’s for sure.
Barbie says
Be careful I know they are poisonous to cats, Lucy should be fine but could make her sick. It may last in the house for a season, but I would plant it outside and enjoy it for many years to come!
Leanna says
Tag says full sun. Outside plant.
Georgie says
MAJOR eye rolls for the HH… so not a houseplant. You just made my day with this story! “There wasn’t anything good in there..” still laughing. After it blooms you could give it an outside burial or maybe it could hang out in the neighbors greenhouse?
Mavis Butterfield says
It’s totally going to the neighbor’s greenhouse!
Nancy says
I say it’s a beautiful alternative to a vase of cut flowers for now. Keep it where Lucy cannot have any contact with it and when it finishes blooming (about 3 weeks in our experience), plant it outside. I’d probably put it in front so that Lucy can’t come in contact with it.
Teresa Foix says
Um, no!
Angela D. says
Perennial = NOT a houseplant.
Connie says
And you love lillies so much!! It is an outdoor plant.
Terri says
If you have enough sun, go for it! You’ll even have some color in your house. It will need to be planted outside later in the fall, though.
Bit of caution: Lilies are very poisonous…don’t let its leaves or petals fall on the floor where Lucy could eat one.
Annette says
Hmmm, this is a tricky one. Will he be reading the comments?
Mavis Butterfield says
Yes! He always reads the comments. 🙂
Kelly Strei says
I love you he says….”ask your people” LOL
Diana says
My favorite line from the story!
Tammy says
Asiatic lilies are my favorite…outside! 😀
Jane says
OUTSIDE!! I think the HH didn’t really want to do this so he picked this one on purpose.
Since he cooks, he can be forgiven, I vote it out and go pick out something more fitting.
Margo says
I was once told that if you don’t know if a plant is a weed or not use this criteria; if it’s pretty and you like it where it is, it’s not a weed. Conversely, if you don’t like it it you should pull it. In the same manner, if the plant is in the house and it’s pretty and you like it, then it’s a houseplant! Never mind that it might not live long as I understand you are not fond lillies anyway, but they are pretty blooming and after they’re done, you can give the bulbs to someone who might like them.
Mama Jo says
Mavis, your HH does so much for you . So don’t be so hard on him. Give him some slack.
I was married 56 yrs to a wonderful man. He didn’t cook but he didn’t mind helping with the cleaning
God bless all of you.
Christie says
Nope, not a houseplant. But an “A” for effort. BTW, my husband would have brought home the same thing!
Kim says
All I am going to say is………….I love the little table now that you have painted it white.
Focus on the fence painting, etc.
Jamie H says
You will definitely want to get that out of the house before it blooms. The pollen In that Lillie drops (everywhere, and such a mess to clean, read:stain) and is to it to pets. Those particular lilies are also a known trigger for migraine and allergy sufferers.
Mavis Butterfield says
Thank you.
Linda Practical Parsimony says
No, it is NOT a houseplant at all. I guess you could bring a potted cotton plant in the house, and it would be a houseplant. But, no, it is not a houseplant. I would plant it where it will thrive outdoors.
M. says
Nope, no way, not a houseplant. Pretty, but soooo not a houseplant.
Lori says
Definitely not a houseplant. Sorry HH! At least he brought you home something showing you he even remembered. My hubby would have been distracted by all the tools and lumber. You know what they say here in New England, if you want it done right then do it yourself.
Kim says
This whole conversation made me giggle. My husband is deaf, gradual loss and late in life. He reads my lips and is pretty good at it most of the time. From his mom he inherited a special interpretation and focus on semantics!!!
I’m on side Mavis!!
Karin says
I think your husband should get points since I think it technically met your instructions. The term houseplant is subjective, I live in Florida and things considered houseplants in many areas are considered landscape perennials here. If He has a similar assignment in the future, ask him to text photos for approval!
Dianne says
Hi HH,
I think you did a great job following directions. I know how men tend to follow directions to the T to make sure they don’t get yelled at when they get home. LOL.
But, in all fairness, a “PERENNIAL” technically or anything found outside at a nursery/garden center is NOT an indoor plant. So, I do know why you picked this one. It really did fit the description Mavis wanted.
Mavis – you win this one. Plant it outside as a sweet reminder and get the indoor plant yourself!
Heidi says
I totally cannot stop laughing!! That just really struck me as super funny, and sorry HH I would not think a house plant either!! LOL 🙂 Great story!!
Jennifer says
Well, he probably knows you won’t ask again!!
Olgafina says
That really was a funny story! (Sorry HH). But you know what, I like how it looks as a houseplant and was thinking I just might get one until I read about them being poisonous to cats. I can’t trust my cat enough to get one.
Cate says
Yeah, it’s a house plant, a “green house” plant. Men!!!
Michèle from Oregon says
I agree with Susan Dillinger! You will be able to enjoy it close up and THEN plant it outside. This way you’re BOTH right! ; D
Charlene says
This one had me laughing so hard my husband asked me what I was reading!
Molly says
Pass the plant along to someone else.
Cut the HH some slack
Sandyf says
Thank you HH for providing some humor today. I see this as a lovely gift… anyone recently move into the hood that – well- you care not to be invited to their next potluck? There ya go
Deb says
The ASPCA has a list of plants on its site that are poisonous to pets. You may wish to take a look at your other plants just to be sure.
Sorry hubby, but it’s an outside plant. But you get an A+ for trying!
Delores says
Thank you, Mavis, for brightening up my day.
No, not a houseplant.
Dot says
This reminds me so much of a story about my Daddy when he and Mama were first married. One of the first things Daddy bought for her was a really expensive set of dinnerware. I once asked him why he bough something so extravagant when they really couldn’t afford it. He said, “Well, she never trusted me to wash the dishes.”
I think this is your hubby’s way of telling you not to ask him to buy houseplants again.
Cecile says
I think since HH reads the comments I will agree with Mavis that no it isn’t a house plant and he has never seen a lily you’ve liked. So, that being said I think he lost on purpose and Mavis your winnings should be an awesome bbq smoked by your HH! LOL Don’t you just love those meat sweats you get after having SOOOO MUCH protein! My hubby loves smoking-in the BBQ
Melissa says
Nope.
GC says
I think it’s a beautiful choice, and commend your HH for it! I think it can be a houseplant, dangit. It would probably need a lot more root space, but if you take good care of it and it wants to – why the heck can’t it be a house plant? Whatever the case, points that he wanted to find you something purdy!
Rita says
Too funny! Love that he is so willing to do your gofering!
Teri says
Love your little table. Maybe try African Violets. They are nice houseplants.
At least your HH didn’t bring home a daylily!!
wil says
Is it in the house? yes? than yes it is a housplant
Emily says
Not a plant for my house since lilies are highly toxic to cats. That said, o had an indoor petunia for years that I enjoyed. If you decide to try keeping it as a houseplant let us know how it fairs. Curious minds want to know!
donna R says
Just saw this statement the other day..”Are husbands ears ornaments or do they actually work?”
Connie says
Home Depot has a nice return policy.
Jillian says
Not a houseplant. But there probably was nothing good in the indoor section. I went to Lowe’s the other day to get a houseplant and there was hardly anything left. Everyone tapped into their inner gardener this year!
Carolina Cooper says
Not mentioned in your criterion for a house plant, but the lily and its pot don’t look like the right proportion or color for the other house plants on the table. I like the idea of putting it in the green house, though! I am sure the HH would feel terrible if something from the plant made Lucy sick.
Still I had to laugh at the whole concept of sending him to buy a house plant.
Jane Andrus says
Not a houseplant, but he scores big big points for being willing to try. Well done HH!!
Shelley says
Weeeell, not a houseplant, but your husband is a saint for even trying. I would keep it inside just to show him how much I appreciated his effort. My husband would tell me to go pick out my own houseplant. BTW, you need a big, colorful Zebrina pendula for that spot. I also live in Maine and they do quite well and would defiantly qualify as a “houseplant”.
Bonnie in Georgia says
Oh Mavis!!
I saw your orchid! Do you have any tips for them?