And finally...the Rubber Tree. I think I have an idea of what happened to your Rubber Tree. First off, I am assuming you are speaking of the plant that is scientifically known as Ficus elastica. This plant is a tree like is stated in its common name. The reason why this particular plant grows like a tree is because it is growing up to reach for the sun. Rubber Trees can withstand a bit of shade, but will do really well in a good amount of sun. To me, it sounds like your Rubber Tree was never getting enough sunlight and was kind of living off of reserves for the past year until a time came when more sun was available. This may explain why it never really grew. If it was getting enough sun, that tree would have grown quite a bit. The first winter your Rubber Tree survived may have been when your tree was using up much of its reserves. It probably never got the chance to refill its energy stores because it never was getting enough sun. It's difficult for me to determine whether the tree has expired or not via the forums, but I wouldn't quite yet throw it out. Rubber Trees are evergreens and should not be dropping all their leaves at once, but that doesn't mean that it is down for the count. I would give it until mid to late spring to "spring" back. If it doesn't at that point, I would suggest that it may be too late.

As for your Hawaiian Anthurium, they too enjoy high humidity year round. You may have to mist as well. For both the Hawaiian Anthurium and the African Violet, they will both need less water in winter. Overwatering can definitely kill a plant and in winter plants generally need less water. This was actually the general topic of PhD dissertation...granted I had to use more specific terms than overwatering, but I'm sure you get the picture. :) The Hawaiian Anthurium can take a bit more light than the African Violet, but that doesn't mean that it needs it. In fact lower light intensity can induce flowering. If I could make a general diagnosis for what is ailing your Anthurium I would probably suggest that it is a combination of bad lighting and overwatering, which these plants are especially susceptible to.

Now to address each of your plants...Let's talk about that African Violet. African Violets are possibly the most finicky plants a gardener can grow. I've written about their care extensively on easybloom.com and I would recommend you check out their plant care needs by searching for African Violet in the search field on our website. They should be repotted often, watered with tepid water, no direct light, etc...They don't actually need all that much light. I would assume that your African Violet could get indirect light by that one window and should be fine. I would like to point out that they prefer high humidity year round. I assume that this time of year you are heating your home, which can artificially dry out the air indoors. I would recommend misting your African Violet or setting up a pebble tray. I explain more on pebble trays in the plant care information for African Violets at http://easybloom.com/plantlibrary/plant/african-violet. Pebble trays unfortunately are not as effective as daily or twice daily misting.

Hey Kadra...Ok...this makes more sense now. I thought you had outdoor plants that could marginally grow in your climate and that the winter temperatures were pushing those plants to their winter cold limits. I was thinking that you were going to overwinter some outdoor plants inside and you were concerned about the level of light they would be getting while they waited for spring to pop up again so they could survive outside again. Looks like you have several indoor plants and your indoor environment cannot provide sufficient light. Unfortunately, there is not much you can do apart from installing grow lights or using mirrors to reflect the little light you have directly at the plants. (I know that second option may sound weird, but the Dutch used to do this in their gardens with their tulips. It can work.)

Just an FYI. My training and education is in horticulture, and I too try to grow plants outside of their zone or light requirements. I live in Northern California outside of San Francisco and I am trying to grow a Plumeria. Plumerias are the flowers that are typically used in Hawaiian leis, which give you a sense of what type of climate Plumerias thrive in. The San Francisco Bay Area does not have a similar climate to Hawaii and yet I still try to grow this plant. Right now it is way too cold where I live for my Plumeria to thrive. Luckily for me, I have access to a greenhouse where I can overwinter my Plumeria. I just wanted to point out that even those of us who "should" know better still try to grow things out of their zone and light ranges. :)

It is entirely possible that your plants just cannot take the combination of your local winters and/or the overwintering conditions you are able to provide. Some plants can withstand a winter of low light. These plants will look poor and grow little, but once you take them back outside in spring they will come back to life. Not all plants can survive this. By chance can you tell me where you generally live and which plants you are overwintering?

One option would be to install supplemental lights inside. You can purchase lighting from a hydroponics retailer or online that are specifically made for helping plants grow. Unfortunately, this is expensive and having a bunch of grow lights in your house may not flow with the decor of the home. :)

Hey Kadra...So, do you have any windows on the southwest side of the house, or maybe the western side to get some late afternoon sun? Also, I assume that your plants are evergreen perennials and not deciduous perennials or annuals. If they're deciduous or annuals, their looking as though they are dying off would be completely natural. This may be the case, but I bet that you have evergreens that need light during winter too.

I would also like to point out if you have any pictures of your Ylang Ylang tree, we may use them on our website. We would give you the photo credit and you can show off your photos to your friends. =)

Hey Dawn...I think it might be a good idea to bring your Ylang Ylang tree indoors for the winter. The reasons why I say this is because the tree will start to suffer when temperatures dip below a daily average of 50F. Also, the tree (although it is a very fast growing tree and can get rather tall) is adjusted to thriving under shady forest canopies. I would still recommend it receives as much light as possible indoors. It may survive in some shade, but it truly thrives in full sun. As for soils, the Ylang Ylang tree is extremely adaptable, but if it does not have access to a good amount of nutrients in the soil, it will do best with acidic soils. I would recommend either an acid-loving water soluble fertilizer, citrus fertilizer or an all around fertilizer. I hope this is helpful. Cheers! Robby