HOW DID I GET HERE?

Shayla, your concierge here! At one of my favorite local nurseries, Tonkadale!

So...how DID I land on the plant lifestyle?

If you had told me five years ago that I'd be living in a loft with over 80 plants I would have...well I don't know what exactly I would have done, but I would have certainly laughed!

I guess this is a hobby that runs in the family, because indoor plant care and gardening was a TRUE passion for my parents when I was growing up. I can still remember the meticulous care my parents gave to the many Bird of Paradise plants we had in our home. I honestly looked at them like crazy plant people (I mean, who gets emotional when a plant doesn’t survive a winter move?!...Which if you were wondering, the answer is now me ;)), but it wasn’t until my move to Seattle and a re-introduction to plants (shoutout to you Melissa!) that a true zeal for plant parenting took root!

My first Seattle plant purchase stemmed from a desire to decorate within the parameters of city apartment living, and has since blossomed into a hobby I never predicted! When I moved from Seattle, I chose to sell my plant collection to friends and local plant enthusiasts, and hit the ground running when I moved back to Minnesota (as you can tell!).

Tip:

If you're a new plant parent, instagram was, and still is, an amazing resource for learning and sharing proper plant care.

Here are my Favorite Plant Accounts of the moment:

i. Hilton Carter @hiltoncarter

ii. Jaimie’s Jungle @jamies_jungle

iii. Black Girls Gardening @Blackgirlsgardening

iv. Jungle In a Room @jungleinaroom

v. Jungle Suitcase @junglesuitcase

vi. Black Girls With Gardens @blackgirlswithgardens

vii. Black Men With Gardens @blackmenwithgardens

viii. Summer Rayne Oakes @homesteadbrooklyn

ix. Urban Jungle Bloggers @urbanjungleblog

x. I Plant Even @iplanteven