Never Enough Houseplants

I first discovered Birds and Bees Nursery in 2014 when the shop was on SE Gladstone. It drew me in with its interesting doll-head planters, plants hanging against the glass, and a vintage metal desk with dirt that you could see through the front windows. At the time, I’d been walking my dog, Indy, around the neighborhood in huge loops so I could really get the lay of the land of my new neighborhood, and I just kept finding myself going by this funky little plant store and peeking through the windows. It didn’t take me long before I finally made it in during business hours to get the scoop on the store and make my first purchase.

Birds and Bees is a locally owned plant store run by two best friends Amanda and Caitlin. They’ve been friends since high school and always loved plants and gardening. They had the idea to start their own business and Birds and Bees was born in 2012. They’ve since moved their business to a house on SE 50th off of Powell. The space is beautiful, with lush greenery at every turn, inside and out. I’m a sucker for a quality house plant and theirs are truly the best. On many occasions I’ve bought a new plant and pot and Amanda has planted my new purchase for me right then and there!

Throughout the pandemic, I’ve been impressed at how they adapted their business to weather the pandemic storm. They built a greenhouse in the back of the house to extend their houseplant offerings in a safe, fresh air (but covered from the rain) style, and they continue to urge patrons to wear masks when inside the main building or greenhouse. They often give a portion of their proceeds to various local fundraising groups supporting Black Lives Matter causes and, in the past, have had pop-ups at their location to support those groups as well.

I love this shop, and I admire the owners, Amanda & Caitlin, so much. Go visit next time you’re in SE, and/or have a look at their Instagram page @birdsandbeesnursery