Their homes seemed to be alive and thriving, just as the plants they cultivated. There was something peaceful about sitting with a green-thumbed friend. Sipping tea while surrounded by living things always made me energized.

Often, I would go back to my home and miss the green I so loved seeing at my friend's home. My house looked so uninviting after one of those visits, but I was hopeless when it came to plants. I managed to kill every plant I laid my hands on, and I didn't even consider that the curse could be lifted.

It was on one of those peaceful, green filled visits to a friend that I was faced with my previous plant murders. Liza was pointing to a Spider Plant and telling me all the wonderful ways that her plants made her feel whole. I sat there nodding, as usual, but inside I was grumbling. Unaware of my inner turmoil, Liza reached over and took off a piece of the Spider Plant.

"I'm going to let you take a piece of this home," she said as she walked in the kitchen.

I froze. Didn't she realize that she was sending one of her precious plants to their doom? Liza must have seen the terrified look on my face when she reentered the room.

"You CAN do this. Just take some time to learn."

Learn? Didn't people who grew beautiful plants have a gene for that type of thing? I was sure I didn't have the plant-growing gene, and no amount of learning would help me.

Liza explained to me that she had always loved plants, but she couldn't seem to grow anything until a few years previous. When I asked her what changed she replied, "I decided it was ok to learn something new, and I stopped beating myself up for not being a natural at growing things."

Liza had handed me the key to houseplant freedom. There was no "plant-growing" gene! I wasn't hopeless after all of my plant nightmares. I went home with renewed energy and an interest in learning.

Don't let plant anxiety stop you from experiencing the joy of growing plants for your home. Check out some instructional books from your local library, or do some research on the Internet. They key to freedom is in the learning. You don't have to be a natural born plant grower. You can learn the right things to do to ensure your plants thrive and survive.