"Heirloom" plants -- those that can be easily passed from generation to generation. Here are some of my favorites:

Heliotrope. This lovely vanilla-scented flower (figure A)was used by ladies of a bygone era to keep their clothes smelling fresh during warm weather. It can be grown outside or in, so long as it gets plenty of sunlight (although not a lot of direct sunlight -- dappled is best).

Spider plant. This is also known as an airplane plant (figure B), although it's highly doubtful that it would have been called that in Victorian times! This is a popular plant, possibly because it's so easy to propagate. All you have to do it clip off one of the "babies" growing on its stems and pop it in a pot of soil. In no time you'll have a new plant to share (or to keep).

Coleus. Up until five or six year sago this plant was primarily grown indoors (figure C). Nowadays, though, thanks to improved plants breeding methods, the coleus can thrive outdoors in the sunshine quite nicely.
To propagate a coleus, find a stem -- with leaves -- that's 4" to 6" long. Cut through the stem below the point where two leaves join it; then remove the bottom two or four leaves (this is where the root will form). Place it in a clear-glass container filled with water, and in about four weeks white roots will appear. At that point, plant it in soil and watch it grow.

Coleus can get leggy in low light, so you may need to pinch it back periodically. To do this, remove the topmost tips where the leaves are forming (figure D). Two sprouts will form there; pinch them out when they reach about 4" in length.

Impatiens. If you're from Florida, you'll probably know this plant as a sultana, but the more common name is impatiens (figure E). This is another plant that is easy to grow indoors as well as outside; it procreates by forming small seedpods below the flowers (figure F). One note: Touch the pods and they'll explode and scatter seeds everywhere! If your kids find out, they'll have a new favorite pastime!
Water a houseplant so the soil is moist, not soggy. To check the dryness of the soil, just stick your finger about 2" deep in the pot. If a lot of soil sticks to your finger, the plant doesn't need water. If, however, your finger comes out clean and dry, you need to give the plant a drink.

Care for Ferns.

A maiden-hair fern (figure B) is one of the most attractive of the popular indoor fern, and has delicate looking black stems. This fern likes a lot of humidity, so it's a good choice for placing in a bathroom. They do not like drafts, so keep them away from air-conditioner/heating vents, fans or the ceiling vent in your bathroom.

The birds-nest fern has much larger, glossy fronds. The new fronds start as tiny "fiddle-heads" in the center of the fern (figure C).

If your large-leafed fern has brown edging around a leaf (figure D), and the condition doesn't improve after a couple of waterings, you may want to cut the sick leaf off using a pair of scissors.

A common mistake with keeping ferns is over-watering -- since many people think of them as swamp or jungle plants. In fact, over-watering kills many ferns since the roots don't thrive well if they are constantly wet. Use your finger as a gauge for when to water ferns. Press on the surface of the soil. If the end of your finger feels moisture when you press down, you don't need to water the fern just yet. Wait until the surface feels dry before you water again.

The "asparagus fern" is not really a fern at all. It's actually an asparagus. The fact that it grows a central stem (figure E) is what identifies this plant as not being in the fern family. This fern-like plant grows well indoors, and can also grow outside as a perennial in warmer states.

Perhaps the most commonly purchased fern is Nephrolepsis, commonly known as the Boston fern (figure F). These are full, lush ferns that work well in pots or hanging baskets.

One of the attributes of the Boston fern is that it can easily be divided to create more potted ferns for your home. If you have an overgrown Boston fern, simply remove it from the pot and carefully divide the root ball using a pruning saw (figure G) or other sharp tool. Even a kitchen knife works well for this.

Separate the roots and untangle the foliage, then place the newly divided fern into a new pot (figure H). Ferns like well-drained soil, so use loose, well-draining potting soil. You may want to add perlite -- the white pellets that aid in soil drainage.

Tip: Ferns do like humidity, but using a plant-mister may cause brown spots on the fronds. A better method of providing humidity is placing the potted fern in a pebble-filled tray, and adding water into the tray until it just covers the pebbles (figure I). As the water evaporates, it will provide the necessary humidity to keep the fern healthy.

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