When I was a kid, I remember my parents complaining that the holidays seemed to get moved up every year. Christmas used to start after Thanksgiving, they would say. The sight of a single light before late November was just ... unseemly.

But the relentless Christmas-creep never bothered me, so you can imagine how nice it was to finally see my spiky red friends in a local garden center. This year, I can proudly say I moved my first poinsettia home before the bird was stuffed. A new record.

I love discovering interesting and surprising little corners of our world. If you're like me, you would never have guessed that crotons are just such a nook.

I'm not aware of any other species like the crotons. Crotons are genetically unstable, with the same species shifting and morphing in an endless steam of leaf form and color. There are hundreds, maybe thousands, of varieties of croton, and even the most dedicated collector could only hope to own a fraction of them. In some places, people scour old neighborhoods, hoping to find that most unusual croton to sneak a cutting from.

They aren't perfect houseplants. They're fussy and can't stand any cold drafts at all. Their colors won't develop if it's too dark, and they'll wash out if it's too light. But if you are vulnerable to their colorful, moody, and tempestuous charms, none of that will matter ...

Photo © Jon VanZile

You'd think they would know better ...

See that aloe down there? The leaves are rotting at the base. I found this plant offered for sale in a local garden center and I bought it because, well, I just wanted to save the poor thing.

The problem here is a basic one with succulents. The grower piled soil too high around the base of the plant. This creates two problems, one minor, one lethal. The minor problem is that water runs off the mounded soil. The lethal problem is that the soil holds moisture up against the plant's base, which causes rot. Excess moisture at the roots and base is probably the biggest cause of death for succulents. And this plant was tagged from one of the biggest growers in the country ... Sigh.

Photo © Jon VanZile

I've been talking to a lot of growers lately as they try to predict what will be big in indoor plants for next year. All of them agreed on one thing: with the economy tanking and people pulling back their spending, they all expect a good year. It's the nesting impulse at work.

But here are some of the other things they said to expect for the year ahead:

• Architectural plants. Expect to see lots of sanseveria and other dramatic plants. This includes the ever-popular succulents and orchids.
• Herbs will be huge.
• There will be a big push for healthy plants, especially spathiphyllum, that have been shown to filter airborne toxins from your air.

I know a lot of people love fall ... the cool air, the leaves change, the holidays start. I'm just not one of them. I'm a summer guy through and through, and when the fall fell, the thing I always missed most was the color green. And red. And white. And yellow. Pretty much any color at all. So for those of you who miss bright flowers and foliage, check out my new guide to growing hibiscus (warning: not for the faint of heart) and read up on amaryllis -- one of the few plants you can count on for winter color.

Be honest now: have you ever left a water stain on a piece of furniture after carelessly watering a plant? I have ... many times. So for the past month, I've been testing out a new product called Drymate Plant Coasters. These absorbent yet oddly waterproof coasters feature something called Zorb-Tech anti-flow technology that allows them to soak up tons of water without it soaking through to the furniture or floor underneath. Check out my full product review.

Photo © Jon VanZile

So check this out ... my son brought home his preschool Halloween project, and I thought it such a clever idea that I'm posting it here. They hollowed out tiny pumpkins and gourds, filled them with dirt, then planted grass seed. The idea is that this little guy will soon sprout hair. Of course, I live in an area that is very unkind to the holiday squash—it's about 83 degrees today with very high humidity—so the race is on. Can the hair grow before the pumpkin rots? Only time will tell ...

Photo © Jon VanZile

My quick thought for the weekend: I was sitting in line outside my son's school the other day when I noticed a plant in the window. It was a big, luxurious dieffenbachia. Nobody paid it much attention—and why would they? It was just a decoration in a window in a heavily traveled lobby. But it was so healthy, and then it hit me: somewhere nearby, somebody thought it was worth their time to spoil this little piece of greenery, just to brighten up an otherwise utilitarian place. I bet I would like that person. Have a good weekend.

My most recent poll on mistakes has been illuminating. By a pretty significant margin, your biggest problem with houseplants is simply that they "die mysteriously." I feel your pain. I can't even begin to tell you how many plants I've killed over the years; I'm like the Genghis Khan of the garden center. Greenery flees before my approach. And, shoot, I'm the guy with the green thumb.

My first instinct is to rationalize it: let's face it, a climate-controlled house is a lousy growing environment. Plants often like things a little warmer, a little sunnier, perhaps a little rainier than we and our electronics can tolerate. Sometimes, it's just a bad match between your house and the plant you're trying to grow. For example, I have to admit that I've never done well with dieffenbachia.

But I wonder too if there isn't something ... more personal going on. Are certain people matched to certain kinds of plants? Is there a cactus kind of person? An orchid person? Is there some mysterious character trait that links together the fiercely loyal tribe of African violet growers? If so, what are these traits? And which kind of person are you?