A Gardeners Forum Forums Gardening Reference Gardening in 2006 plants for east and west exposure

Hi everyone,

I'd like to get a couple more plants for my apartment...the trouble is I only have windows on the eastern and western exposure. Additionally, the western exposure gets blocked by the other side of the building (my building is C-shaped facing the street with a small courtyard in between the two legs of the C) so it gets dim early in the afternoon. Right now I have a papyrus, bamboo shoot, and english ivy (?) in the eastern windows and an aloe in the western. Any suggestions?

I have a huge philodendron in my east window along with several species of hoya and some cyclamen. They are all well and happy. I also have a Selenicereus anthonyanus, AKA Anthony's Rick-Rack cactus there. It and one of the hoya are growing into, around, and through each other. They'd probably do well in your west window, too. Hope that gives you some ideas.

Thanks for the suggestions Margaret...I was going to mention I own a cat so I would prefer plants that are not poisonous to curious kitties, but now I see that both my aloe and ivy are considered poisonous as well (according to ASPCA page) Can the philos and cyclamen be kept in hanging baskets? They look pretty but I don't want to take a chance. Also have to figure out a way to cat-proof the ivy and aloe. I've only had the cat for about a month but she did chew on my roommates plant (have no idea what it is, looks like some sort of palm) and it made her sick.

Grow your moggy some grass of her own! In any window you want! My cats have never bothered with my plants except to knock over 1 or 2. Mostly I grow spiny things because the dogs tried to eat the dirt. Stupid dogs. Some philodendrons hang beautifully. Cyclamen don't cascade, but you can certainly elevate the pot. I don't know if they're poisonous, I do know they are summer dormant.

I have a purple passion plant in my east facing window and it is a vine that just loves to grow and grow. It's easy to take cuttings and all my friends are gettings cuttings and mine is still looking full and happy. I don't have a west facing window but my neighbor does and he has a large 'fack' coleus in his window and it is doing great. He also has one of my purple passion which is also doing well.

Hope this helps.

I have a fittonia and a madagascar dragon tree in my east windows, and a parlor palm, false aralia, and a flamingo lily on the west side. My flowering stuff (hyacinth and amaryllis) is all in the large west window.
I think I need some of that purple passion for my kitchen windows, it would work perfect there!

Is there a specific species of grass for cats? I think giving her something to chew on is a good idea, esp. if that keeps her from attacking the other plants...

There is cat nip and cat mint that I know of. I don't have any of either kind or I would send it. Good luck with your kitty.

Catnip might make her too crazy. Usually in seed sections of garden supply places there are packets of grass for cats, I think it's actually wheat, but my sister-in-law grows yard grass in a flower pot for her 2 cats. They enjoy it and leave her other plants alone, meaning she keeps the other plants fairly out of the way and her cats do not actively try to get at them.

WalMart has on the pet food asile...a little grass starting kit for cats...I looked at the seed and it looks like wheat to me. growing catnip would not turn out good, as the cat would be climbing all over the plant , laying on it, eating it and its like a drug for cats, they go wild when they have eaten it and you cat would proable be very active. If they have a WalMart in your area check out the grass growing kit for cats.

OK on the subject of catgrass. I use a mix of various wheat and yard grass. The wheat has deeper roots so they don't pull it up as easy when they are munching on it the yard grass pulls up fairly easly on its own. Most recently I picked up a fairly big bag of seeds at the petstore and just useing a regular pot that is about 8 inches in diamater. Don't go to big or they will start laying it in and doing certian 'other' things in it. Another grass that I have heard good things about for cats is lemongrass but I havn't personally tried it yet. Good luck our 8 have been leaving the plants alone much better since I have the pots of grass for them that I cycle out.

Thanks for all of the great advice...I'm going to start hunting some of these specimens down!