Sunzim, you can appreciate that the leaves nearest any problem the soil has will feel the effects first. They would of course also feel the pain longer than the upper leaves that may indeed also come to harm from whatever the problem is/was. It just takes longer to get up there. Lower leaves, having dropped off, will never replace themselves. Surely you had some sign before leaf drop. Possible browning or yellowing of leaves or a pest has gotten into the chicken house. Leaf drop can come from one or a combo of causes. Under or over watering, too much sun, too much fertilizer, not enough humidity, (consider misting), and that drafty location you mention can indeed cause what the plant is experiencing. Warm air from above will cause the surface soil to dry out first. You touch the soil, feel its dryness, and so water. The soil down below though is still with water. Such drying of the surface then cause overwatering to the roots. It helps when the pot drains well and the water isn't allowed to sit in the saucer. By eliminating each, discarding any that doesn't fit, is the only way you can find and correct the problem. I have no idea how long the problem has been happening but you can also appreciate that sun values over a cold winter do not support growth on a plant. If you have perhaps fed the plant, in other words, encouraged growth when the sun cant support it, then such weakness of leaves will be the first to feel it and either do poorly or when push comes to shove, they drop off. Fertilizer should only be given a plant when it is growing, when it can use the food. Watering through winter, is also much less needed. The plant is not using water like it used to in its growing stages. Look for any sign of pests; on the leaves, in the crotches, in the soil. But, be sure to not go up more than one size---even with the addition of other plants in the pot--too much soil---or rather more soil than is needed, will force-feed the roots to take up food it cant use. The extra expanse of soil causes extra water to be taken in the roots which may not be able to use it. If this condition were to be continued for some time, the roots may begin to rot. Once that happens, the plant is unable to take up moisture...the lower leaves feel it first, eventually reaching up into the upper section.

Wow, that's a lot of questions. I suggest going to the library or bookstore and getting a basic houseplant care book if you're in this for the long haul. (Try to get one written in the U.S. - I have a lot of respect for British gardeners, but their books use a lot of different product names than we do.) Look at the drainage holes at the bottom of the pots. If there are roots sticking out the holes, it's time for a bigger pot. If not, turn the plant upside down and knock it out of its pot. If the rootball is full of roots and stays stuck together in the shape of the pot, it needs a bigger pot. If it falls apart or there is lots of soil without roots, stick it back and wait a year. When moving to a bigger pot, DO NOT overdo it. If you put a plant into too big of a pot, the soil stays soggy, the roots rot, and the plant dies. For plants your size, go up 2", from an 8" to a 10", for example. Then next time you repot (in a year or two or three), go up another size. (Unless you want to keep the plant small, then you can rootprune and keep the same size pot, but we'll save that for Houseplants 201!) Use a good soilless potting mix - ProMix is ideal. DO NOT use topsoil, or garden soil, or cheap discount brand soil. Plastic pots are fine. Make sure they have holes in the bottom so extra water can drain - you can use the ones with attached saucers or just stick whatever kind of tray, bowl, etc. you have under it. If you're putting them outside, move them gradually from a shady spot to a sunnier one. I wouldn't recommend putting any of them into full Texas sun, but maybe a Texan can give you better advice about that! If you move them from indoors to outdoors suddenly, the leaves will get sunburned (whitish tan scorch marks). Start in a very shady spot and gradually increase the light. 100 degrees is hotter than ideal - most plants start to stress at around 90 to 95 degrees. A rare day at 100 is OK, but I wouldn't do it if you have many of them. The spathiphyllum in particular will not like a lot of sun and will need LOTS of water in the heat - I suggest keeping it indoors all year. The cyclamen prefers shade and cool temperatures too. I skip the pebbles altogether but some people use them. Most of your plants should get dry to the touch on top before you water again. They will not do well if kept soggy. Once a week may or may not be enough, depending on how potbound they are and how bright and warm your home is. They will need less water in the winter than during the rest of the year. The spathiphyllum likes more water - water it when the top is just barely damp. If it gets too dry, it will wilt dramatically and look dead, but give it water and it will bounce back. The cyclamen also should be watered similarly, when the top is barely damp.

I hope I didn't really screw up... I feel bad I didn't follow the directions properly and may have really messed up this schef. Once I took it out of the large pot, it was not what I expected, as you saw in the photo the root ball was tiny compared to the pot, less than 1/5 of the size of the pot. After examination, the roots in the ball there was (as shown in the photo) were not all that substantial. I think that the roots have been rotting away in this wet slop of a soil that barely drained. I decided I had no choice but to get it out of this soil that it was drowning in. I cleaned off the root ball and put it in the new Turface, Pine Bark, and Perlite gritty mix I just made. All went well, fertilizing and transplanting. I also added a mycorrhizal product to the roots. Then.... perhaps I should skip this part, this is the bad part of my day. I tried to bring it back into the house myself. It had such minimal roots that it didn't hold in the gritty mix that well. It fell out of the pot, down a couple step and hit the ground. Amazingly, It appears to not have suffered any physical damage. I moved the pot in, then brought in the schefflera. I re-planted it in the pot in place. It would not stay standing on it's own, I didn't get it buried quite as deep as I had it when I was outside. All I could think to do was to place some #3 grit around it, thinking the #3 is large enough that it would not cause a problem with it being on the top of the mix. So it is held in place now with the grit. Only time will tell how much damage or perhaps if I am very lucky, good I have caused. Looking on the bright side, perhaps I saved it from upcoming death from root rot and it will like it's new mix despite the trama. I did not prune it and will leave it un pruned until next summer as advised. I have to go apologize to my plant some more. :-( Thanks Jamie

I know you are waiting, but I'm going to put in a vote for the Kichler Ralston. I thnk the very strong, square lines of your house are plenty of linear design -- something with curves has more interest and the hanging lantern compliments the iron scroll work on the door. I like the rectangular lanterns very much, but they accentuate the straight lines of the house and the door itself, making the scroll work on the door an odd man out. The hanging latern wirh some curve brings it together. I also like that last lantern your DH doesn't, but I don't think it is right for your house. I can't put my finger on why -- contemporary -- a little too simple or delicate? Looks like it would be better against stucco rather than all the brick lines. You said you have other projects to tackle, but even if you didn't, I think it is good to look and leave -- come back at least once or twice. That helps me weed out things I like but don't love for my use or for the long term.