Looks a lot more like a dianthus (sweet William) than a phlox. But regardless, it is NOT a houseplant and should be outdoors. I think sometimes I sound like a broken record but plants that are native to or grow happily outdoors in the northern hemisphere make lousy houseplants - it is too dark, too dry and to warm inside a house to make them happy. I'd move this guy outside ASAP and cut back on the watering - dianthus like fast draining soils. The begonia can go either way :-) These are typically sold as flowering outdoor plants (annuals) for shade or as houseplants. Begonias like quite bright (but indirect) light and are perfectly happy outdoors out of direct sunlight during the summer months. They can be allowed to go a bit dry between waterings....IOW, do not soak them excessively

Hi Plllog! "That is, I know it's possible, but might not be in your budget." See, there's the crux of it. This little beverage center idea of mine was not in the original budget. (Nor, alas, were new drywall in the livingroom and halls, the gorgeous walnut top on my used cabinet island, the matching gorgeous top that will soon be on the new media cabinet and the near full gut of the bathroom.) And we're still determined to get through remodeling our ugly duckling without taking out a loan or dipping into savings. Conventional wisdom says: Wait until the coffers are full again but that's so hard to do. First off, I'm a cheapskate. Even if the goose who laid the golden egg waddled up onto my deck and built a nest, I'm not sure I would willingly pay someone to mess up the walls I just paid to fix. Second, I'm not quite cheap enough. My new kitchen is starting to look pretty good but, gosh, it would look so much better if the microwave and coffee maker didn't take up so much room on that one counter. I'm willing to spend a little bit more to change that, especially since I'm going to have a piece of countertop leftover that should be just the right size. Still, it's nice to know that it's possible. Maybe when the coffers ARE full again I'll put a tile counter outside on my deck to shade the golden goose should she happen to wander by ;) Thanks for your help!

I would take the euphorbia out and give it its own pot. The damage on the main plant could be from cold, or sunburn. It looks cosmetic to me. If its soft and oozing, I would cut the top off and reroot it, but if not, I'd just leave it. Some cactus and succulents just seem to be a little more tender, also I have some that the older growth changes to a silvery grey or brown skin. this may just be natural for this variety.

It appears to not be well draining. There are many recipes for a gritty mix media here on Garden Web that explain why the organic based soils do not drain well. I won't rehash it, since you can easily search for it and locate many articles posted by Al. If these were my plants I would remove them from the soil and let them dry out. I am pretty sure you will find roots rotting beneath the soil based upon the leaf colors on both plants. Tracy