My plant babies

I like my houseplants. Because we don't have pets and David is fairly self-sufficient ;) they were the closest things I had to children before God sent us baby. My plants require minimal care, but they do depend on my watering for survival. I like that. And I'm proud of them when they do well (I add a few drops of Miracle Gro to the water almost every time - seems to work!). One vine plant in particular has grown almost 8 feet since I clipped a few leaves off of a friend's plant in 2004.

Sadly, our apartment only has three small windows, one in each bedroom and one in the main living space. The sunlight doesn't often reach the other side of the apartment, so I have trouble keeping plants alive unless they are by the window. When there is no danger of frost, I keep half of the plants out on our balcony, where they can get more sun. But during the winter they keep cramped quarters around the living room window.

With baby on the way, I'm concerned about the plants. Before the little one is mobile, I know they will be good to have in our home, cleansing the air. But when crawling begins, what will I do? I've heard some houseplants are actually toxic if ingested.


I'd appreciate anyone's advice/tips for keeping a safe space for children and houseplants. Thanks!