Nice list, thanks! I have a dog, so the indoor plants I have are nontoxic: an african violet, a nontoxic fern, culinary herbs in hubby's Aerogarden, and a goldfish plant (which I love!! It is so cool looking.) Used to have a Persian violet which was fabulous and fragrant-- smelled great for about 2 months, but it eventually finished flowering, sickened and died. It was replaced by the goldfish plant.

Instead of joss sticks, some small shrine areas have electric lights. I never found out why some do and some don't. Here is a link that might be useful:

Here is a rundown of each of the links above. http://www.ewg.org/reports/toxicteflon "In two to five minutes on a conventional stovetop, cookware coated with Teflon and other non-stick surfaces can exceed temperatures at which the coating breaks apart and emits toxic particles and gases linked to hundreds, perhaps thousands, of pet bird deaths and an unknown number of human illnesses each year, according to tests commissioned by Environmental Working Group (EWG)." Sorry about youtr bird. Don't overheat the pans\. http://www.ewg.org/release/epa-science-panel-says-teflon-chemical-likely-cause-cancer "On January 30, the EPA posted its outside panel's draft report suggesting that the Agency strengthen its study of the Teflon chemical PFOA and call it a "likely" human carcinogen." PFOA is used to manufacture Teflon. it is not present in the finished product. http://www.ewg.org/release/epa-fines-teflon-maker-dupont-chemical-cover "Today the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced it will fine Teflon maker DuPont $16.5 million for two decades' worth of covering up company studies that showed it was polluting drinking water and newborn babies with an indestructible chemical that causes cancer, birth defects and other serious health problems in animals. The chemical is in the blood of over 95 percent of Americans." While the article ss so bad it does not even name the " indestructible chemical that causes cancer, birth defects and other serious health problems," it is PFOA. NOT PRESENT IN FINISHED TEFLON. http://tuberose.com/Teflon.html "Teflon and the chemicals used in its production have grown into a $2 billion-a-year industry. This includes ammonium perfluorooctanoate, known as C-8,..." " Even DuPont says that it cannot rule out that Teflon-connected products, such as Stainmaster carpet treatment, give off the chemical" Since you can NEVER prove a negative hypothesis this is pure hysteria and bovine scatrology. " Now the unexpected discovery of the almost universal contamination of Americans' blood from C-8, combined with worrisome laboratory studies, has led to a high priority investigation by the EPA of the chemical's risks" PFOA is not presnt in finished teflon. UIf teflon was such a huge risk all the folks with implated teflon in their bodies wupold be getting cancers at huge rates. They ARE NOT. " A Teflon pan reached 721°F in just five minutes..." " For the past fifty years DuPont has claimed that their Teflon coatings do not emit hazardous chemicals through normal use. In a recent press release, DuPont wrote that "significant decomposition of the coating will occur only when temperatures exceed about 660 degrees F (340 degrees C). These temperatures alone are well above the normal cooking range." These new tests show that cookware exceeds these temperatures and turns toxic through the common act of preheating a pan, on a burner set on high." Sounds like gross incompetence on the part of the cook. If you burn MANY 'plastics' they emit toxic chemicals. Like cyanide, carbon monoxide, PVC, lead vapor, and a whole host of other things. This is hysterical stupidity. Probably directly driven by the very poor education system. Teflon is implanted in thousands of peples bodies every year in artificial joints and a multitude of other uses. Every IV catheter is a Teflon tube. The catheter is on the outside of the needle used to get it into the vein, than the needle is withdrawn leaving the Teflon behind. The Teflon catheter is finally removed when the IV is no longer required.

No voles here, but I do have a terrible gopher problem. I have a neighborhood park on two sides of the property, so there’s an endless supply of them coming in. I do plant my most precious plants in gopher cages, but I can’t realistically plant everything in cages. I have been experimenting with a plant called Plectranthus neochilus. It has a skunky aroma when watered or brushed up against. I ordered it from Annie’s Annuals and Perennials. Annie’s makes no mention of it causing gophers to leave the area, but I read about it while researching the plant. Apparently many animals despise the scent of it. It’s an almost succulent type plant, and makes a good ground cover. Although I only purchased one plant, it roots so easily that I can just break off a stem and stick it in the ground. I keep it moist for a week or two, and it takes off. The areas where I have planted it have been deserted by gophers completely. I plan to put them all around the edge of my yard. The big drawback to Plectranthus neochilus is that it’s only perennial in zones 9-11, so it wouldn’t be helpful during the winter in cold zones. It does look a plant that you could overwinter indoors, however. I don’t have enough experience with this plant to say it works perfectly at keeping the gophers away yet, but I’m encouraged by the results so far. I was further encouraged when a visiting aunt from the San Joaquin Valley recognized it. She said she’d always wondered what it was called, as it’s planted all around the commercial strawberry fields to keep the gophers out. If the commercial growers are using this plant for gopher problems, there must be some truth to what I’ve read. It’s just very unfortunate that as a tender South African plant, it’s not hardy below zone 9. Still, it might be worth looking into for those in warm climates with gopher/vole problems. Lisa