As a kid, I just loved Easter time!  As soon as St. Patrick's Day was past, the Easter decorations would come down from our little attic space.  The mantles and buffets would be properly covered with "Snowbabies" bunnies and all of the various rabbits that my brother and I had received the previous years from the Easter Bunny.  Dad always turned one of the trees in the front yard into the "Easter" tree by loading it with colorful, plastic eggs. 

Even Ike and Tina (the two plastic flamingos that lived in one of the front flower beds) had bunny ears to wear for the occasion.  ​

We would head outside, usually still in our pajamas, to begin hunting the eggs that the Easter Bunny had already hidden.  After finding all of the eggs, (they were carefully counted the day before so we would know how many to look for) we would have to head inside to get ready for church.  After Sunday lunch, the name of the game was to re-hide the eggs and find them all over again!  We would do this all afternoon, and when Dad got tired of hiding them for us, we would take turns doing it for each other.  (I will go ahead and confess that Troy probably had to hide them for me more than I hid them for him.) This was our Easter fun, all afternoon. 

What is it about hiding and finding eggs all day that is so entertaining?  We didn't even have prize eggs, it was simply the thrill of the hunt.  The Southern Merc girls have deciced that this year, the kids shouldn't get to have all of the fun! We've carfully hidden Easter eggs all over our website, and we want you to find them!  The person that finds all of the eggs first will be a lucky winner!  

While you are on the hunt, be sure to check out the cute Easter selections in our shop!

These are the tools we've gathered for today's lesson.  you will need a good spade, empty pots, scissors, and potting mix.  Dad likes to use a mix of Black Kow, potting soil, and garden humus (compost).

When starting plants from seeds, Dad likes to use peat pellets to fill his seed trays.  These pellets come full of nutrients, are easy to use, and cut down on the mess of using loose soil.  They hold their moisture a little better than the soil and makes it easier to for you to keep your seeds damp. If you don't have peat pellets, it is fine to use your potting soil mix to fill the trays.  

If you are using the pellets, just drop one in each slot, water thouroughly, and watch them expand.  They will grow to fill the hole.  If you are using the potting soil, just go ahead and dampen the soil with water.

When the peat pellets have expanded, just push on them with your finger and spread them out a little.  

Be sure to go ahead and label the slots for your seeds or you will have a hard time knowing what is what when they start to sprout!

Take your tiny seeds and lay them on top of each slot in the tray, according to how you labeled them.  Push the seeds down a little just so they won't wash to the side when you water.  Each type of seed requires a different depth so be sure to read the back of your seed packet for helpful tips. Keep the seeds moist for the next few weeks and watch your little seeds sprout into small plants!  When they grow their second set of leaves it will be time to move them to a bigger pot or time to plant them in the ground.  

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Now we will move on to the opposite stage of plant life, when it has become pot-bound and too big for it's container.  Dad's beautiful herb garden has outgrown its pot so it is time to split these plants up and give them a little breathing room.   

Go ahead and prep an empty pot (or two) by filling it two thirds of the way with your potting mix.  

After removing the pot-bound clump from it's original pot, you can begin to gently pull apart the different kinds of plants.  If you are working with one large plant that has become pot-bound, you can go ahead and gently pull at it to create some seperation.   

When you have decided where to divide, you need to cut through the roots with a knife or with your garden shears.  

You will need to loosen up the soil and the roots before moving to the new pot.

Decide which plants go in which pots and begin the potting process.  Set your new, smaller plants on top of the soil you have prepped, and begin filling in around the sides and the top with more soil. 

We had enough herbs to turn one pot into three!  They will be so much happier now that they have some growing room!

Repotting is inevitable for all pot plants.  Don't be afraid to split them up and spread them out.  It is a great oppurtunity for you to expand your garden or to bless friends by sharing your bounty.  I love to swap plants with friends!  Dad's little herbs were so plentiful, he was a sweetie and shared a couple of the new pots he created with me.  What a blessing to step out to my side porch when I am cooking and snip some fresh herbs to use in my favorite recipes.  Not only are they delicious, but I am reminding of my sweet Dad everytime!  

If you're thinking about starting a few seeds of your own this Spring, check out our terracotta starter pots we just added to the store! These small, handmade pots vary in size but are full of character and are perfect for your garden. 

We hope these little tips are helpful to you if you are just branching out and starting a garden of your own.  If you love caring for plants, be sure to check out this month's curated collection.  It has just what you need to care for your favorite house plants!

You'll find many beautiful things for your home and garden so be sure to look around while you are here.  Happy gardening y'all!

Setting up a beautiful booth space is half of the fun!  Our mini-southern mercantile really came together with a fresh garden theme.  The show walls even got a fresh coat of paint for spring! We used one of our all-time favorite colors, sea salt by Sherwin Williams.  

Roxie and her dad built this beautiful garden arbor for our spring display.  If you missed us at Cottontail's, don't worry, you will get to see this again!  It will be traveling with us this spring.

Roxie brought fresh vines and Bridal Veil blooms from her yard to decorate the arbor.  

As always, we enjoyed our time in Birmingham and truly enjoyed getting to meet new people and visit with our faithful Southern Merc fans.  Every year we recognize more and more of you!  Anyone who signed up for our email list while at the show was entered to win a $50 gift certificate to our online store.  We are so excited to announce the lucky winner is Penny Ferguson!  Happy shopping penny, be on the look out for a happy email in your inbox!

If you missed us at Cottontail's, or if you passed up something you wish you had gotten, don't forget you can shop with us online!  

On Wednesday, Roxie had the opportunity to visit our friend and fellow maker, Leigh Ann from Sweet Auburn Studio!  Her shop, Burrow Goods, is absolutely adorable and is a must-visit if you are in the Birmingham area. In addition to her jewelry design skills and abilities to perfectly curate the goods in her shop, she is also a talented interior designer!

We have a new selection of Leigh Ann's jewelry in our shop at our Fourth and Cherry location, as well as a large selection of thoughtful pieces by our friend, Sharon, of Wallin and Buerkle.  We'll have new pieces listed in the online store soon so be on the look out!

If you missed our first Spring show, don't worry, there are more to come!  Check out our Events Page to see if we will be traveling to a town near you!