I don't really have much to say about this, but that's how I tend to start most of these posts: believing I don't have much to say. Usually once I start, I end up finding at least a couple paragraphs to add to the page.
For the past few years,since we moved to Vancouver, we have lived in an apartment with a north-facing balcony. We grew a few plants, including a rhododendron and a couple small trees (can't remember what they are). We also managed to kill a few plants, including a couple succulents. We really did try, but... kept losing track of what had been watered when, and eventually every indoor plant we had died.
Then the pandemic hit. And we started working from home. Two of us working from a single small table in our one-bedroom apartment. It went well, but we talked a few times about how it would be nice to have a proper, dedicated work space separate from living spaces. We lucked out and got a two-bedroom place in the same building we were in. We were very excited to find out that the new place had a south-facing patio.
Since then, we've gotten a bit wild with plants. We started with a bonsai, an aloe, some succulents, and a fern. Then a couple small tropical plants. Then, when the weather started warming up recently, a couple cedars and hanging flower arrangements. Then a few more... heather, wormwood, a couple dahlias. I won't list all of them, but we're now at... 40+ plants?
Fortunately, we've managed to keep them [mostly] all alive! A few aren't so happy, but once the numbers started going way up, I decided I needed help tracking everything. So I bought a subscription to Planta and it's been really helpful. It's nice to be able to offload the cognitive load of keeping track of when I watered which plant, and what each one's needs are. But it's also fun to learn about the things different plants need. I had no idea "misting" was a thing. To be honest, I didn't really understand fertilizer either. I knew it existed but didn't know how to use it when, how much, etc.
In the end, we've both been really enjoying the sense of life that plants bring to our living space, both indoor, and out. But honestly... mainly outdoor: I'm so excited to spend more time working from the patio when it warms up!