Me

Hallo - nil desperandum - something will come up! Meanwhile,glad you found us!

Hi Emily, Good luck with the job hunt, Spritz is right, things have a way of working out!!
I have a Fatsia Japonica in a similar place to yours (next to my front door in the shade). You can prune it hard in the spring. I cut it right back (most branches to the ground) this spring and it has come back big and strong - it'll need the same treatment next year. I've not heard of the sap being poisonous; although I didn't try any so who knows :o)

Thanxs Spritz and Peter, something will come up if you want it enough, i believe in fate ! About the fatsia thanxs for the advice on pruning, not sure if i want to prune it back hard because of where it is situated, it's kinda under a window. As for it being poisonous, i was under the impression that it's sap contains cyanide ?!! I'm probably wrong will have to check it out for myself at some point.

Fatsia japonica is considered a safe houseplant - no known toxins. Although as with anything some people may have an allergic to the plant itself but this appears to be very rare

Yeah i stand corrected, my partner has just told me that Fatsia japonica's sap has a toxin called sarin in it that apparently used in nerve gas ?!! It won't do us any harm, our horticulture lecturer told us this at college.