In March, the nursery really comes alive. Last year was no exception. Since I’ve been helping with the Instagram account I’ve come to know many of our plants well. I also know Nigella the cat, so I continue to post pics of her because she’s now retired, but more on that soon…

In March the flowers begin to burst in the display garden, and inside the greenhouses, many plants begin to grow rapidly. At this point I don’t have to look for seeds much so I’m an observer. Typically, we’re potting plants up like crazy so it’s nice to have a little break.

From there we take the freshly prepped babies into the greenhouses to continue their growth. When they look especially lovely, flats are moved to retail. That’s where the lovely plants come from, and it’s amazing how much work it takes to keep this cycle going. Working at a nursery has really taught me to respect all of the work done by those who run small specialty nurseries. It doesn’t get more artisanal or bespoke than this… Handcrafted plants. That really should be a thing.

Back at home, I continued to play with houseplants, and I watched many of my own plants grow from seed. Seeds were sown, plans were made, and I worried…

It was time to take down the multi-headed Doug fir, and just like that, before I knew it, it was gone…

The process was quick and honestly painless. I think one paver was broken but I chose not to move it so it wasn’t an issue. It was no big loss because I barely noticed. Suddenly, the south side of the house was flooded with light.

The house and garden felt very different. It has taken months for me to adjust to the change. I’m used to it now but it’s been quite a shift.

Felix Freedom Fridays began in March and I started to take Felix places that month. All year he made frequent visits to Xera Plants with me and this was the first of the season. He loves to meet his friends there, although sometimes he’s a bit distracted by the noises of the city.

That was also the month when Greg from Xera Plants had an Open Garden. I decided to walk over for the physical therapy and I didn’t stay long. It was pretty though but I think that day I was still fairly stressed out about the tree removal. (It hadn’t happened yet.)

On the way back I stopped to admire this kinda fun house near mine. It looks like it could be pretty amazing with a little bit of work. The plants that are there at least fit the look. I’d never seen the house before and thought it was kind of interesting. Part of me would love to have a second story patio like this. I think they’re fun in the city. My favorite bloom that month was definitely my houseplant Huernia zebrina and I still need to propagate this beauty.