heheh, well a girl I was dating gave me three plants about two years ago: a philodendron, sago palm, and traditional ivy -- all three plants were supposed to be guy proof. I blew that theory to bits.
I watered them too much
I fertilized them too much
I thought putting them outside during a warm spell in winter would be a good thing, so I left them out there during some 65* spells. little did I realize that the two nights of lower temps and frost were sucking the life out of them.
they were in baaaaaad shape, so I cut off all the bad bits right down to the stubs in a lot of areas, and brought them back inside. I thought they were goners. but I basically let them both dry out between waterings and didn't fertilize them until they were starting to look good again.
then when it warmed up, I took them outside again, but only to a mostly shaded location. they thrived, and this spring I was able to take some cuttings of the vigorous growth, and the cuttings flourished this year, whereas when I tried to root some shortly after I got the plant, most of them just rotted and died.
there is a lot to be said for the care plants get in a nursery. in fact, I find that most of what I've bought has been neglected.
anyway, all the cutting and shaping is what actually got me interested in bonsai, and that's mostly what I focus on now, thought I still have my original three that are doing very well
I'd like to try getting a dog next.