Are Houseplants Better Than Boyfriends?

Filed under: Living Spaces

They need nurturing, can give you flowers and make you smile when you see them. No, we're not talking about boyfriends, but houseplants. Our friends at The Frisky give us three reasons why tending to pretty pots of greenery can matter more than any guy.

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I don't have a dog ... or a boyfriend. Once upon a time, I had both. This is not a country song by the way, I am going to take this in a different direction so stick with me.

susan nyc, flickr

If I did have a dog, I might be writing about all the wonderful ways my imaginary dog, Sprinkles, enhances my life in the absence of a man. But Sprinkles is just a dog I met on the street while her real owner was walking her. And my landlord doesn't allow pets in the building anyway.

So that's neither here nor there. For now, I'll have to bestow all my loving praise upon my very cherished succulent, Curly. A loyal plant can bring much joy to a single ladies' life. Curly has been with me now for almost four years and I feel like we have a very solid relationship. After the jump, some reasons why having a plant is better than having a boyfriend.

1. They are always available to listen. Curly is a plant of few words, specifically, none. But he is a really great listener and he's available anytime of the day or night. He is never too busy with work or hanging out with his buddies to lend a leaf. And he never judges me or thinks I'm "overly emotional" when I cry. I know I can go to Curly with life's joys and pains and he will listen without ever saying a word or trying to figure out how to "fix" things. If only more boyfriends could do the same.
2. They need you, but not too much. My beloved plant needs me -mostly to water him-but still, he needs me and is not afraid to show it. When I'm away for a week, Curly's tentacles droop slightly with the sadness of my absence. When I water him, he perks back up but I tell myself that it's because he is very happy to see me. When I think of "what I have to come home to," after a particularly annoying family weekend, I can count on Curly to be sitting placidly still on my windowsill waiting. But as thrilled as I am that Curly needs me, he is also totally self-sufficient on the days that he doesn't need to be watered, pruned, or repotted, which isn't very often. Men would be wise to take note of this delicate need/self-sufficiency balance.
3. They never complain about anything. Plants turn excessive sunlight into photosynthesis and 10 days worth of rain into emergency food storage. Curly makes the best of every situation. You won't hear him complaining about how his branches could be fuller if he only sat on a more sun-drenched ledge or got watered more often. If Curly's arms are dropping or he sheds excessively, you won't see him blaming me for making him that way or waiting for me to make him grow. Curly knows this too shall pass. What an inspiring outlook on life!

See more of what Ami has to say about houseplants, relationships and more at The Frisky.

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Source: http://www.diylife.com/2011/07/20/are-houseplants-are-better-than-boyfriends/

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