I replanted a struggling aglaonema (lower left) in January. Almost seven months later, it’s strong and beautiful (upper left). On the other hand, I’m afraid my impatiens (right) is nearing its end.

When I bought the New Guinea impatiens back around June, it was really pretty, with deep purple leaves and a few bright pink flowers. I potted it and displayed it on my front porch, sure it would soon be full of blossoms and the prettiest flower on the block. About a month or so later, I noticed a few of the leaves on the bottom of the flower were turning brown.

I thought maybe it was getting too much eastern sun and heat, so I moved it in the house, near a window. Regular watering and plant food hasn’t helped, and I’m afraid the impatiens is likely to hit the recycle pile soon.

I’ve come to expect that for every three houseplants I have that do well, another one will struggle to survive and ultimately not make it. I wish my houseplant parenting skills were better, but those seem to be my odds. Whether it’s the wrong dirt or too much/little water or sun, a few just don’t/can’t thrive.

One that did survive despite a rocky start is my aglaonema. It was one of the first houseplants I bought when we moved to Texas, and it had a rocky start. I was attracted to the variegated greens on the leaves and the bright pink the leaves were trimmed in. Soon, though, its leaves, too, started to dry up. I replanted it in a different type of soil and moved it from the cooler dining room to the warmer master bedroom. As you can see in the photo below, it’s bigger and prettier than ever. The leaves aren’t quite as variegated as they were back in January, but the deep green and bright pink make for a beautiful color combination.

And a lovely flower to wake up to each day.

This aglaonema is a great addition to a corner of our master bedroom.