Ankur (A Germination House Nursery)

Running a nursery like Ankur means your hands are almost always covered in dirt. We spend the bulk of our time in the germination house, watching over the little seedlings as they start to poke through the soil. It’s a quiet kind of job, mostly involving watering schedules and making sure the temperature is just right so the plants don't get stressed out. People come by asking all sorts of questions about why their bushes aren't flowering or what kind of soil they should use for their pots. We try to give them a straight answer based on what we’ve seen work over the years. We don't have a big marketing team or a fancy storefront; it's just the plants and us. Every season brings something different to do, so we never really get bored. In the spring, it’s a total madhouse with everyone wanting to start their gardens at the same time. During the monsoon, we’re mostly trying to keep things from getting drowned in too much water. It’s a lot of physical labor, moving heavy pots and bags of compost around, but it keeps us fit. We take pride in seeing a tray of seeds turn into healthy little plants that people can take home. It’s just a small germination house trying to keep things green and growing in our little corner here.