A fresh crop of shops caters to Denverites’ growing desire for decor that brings a bit of nature into their homes.
GREEN LADY GARDENS
PHOTO: COURTESY GREEN LADY GARDENS
Since opening her shop in Denver’s Art District on Santa Fe in 2018, Jessica Schutz has gained a reputation for two things: her colorful wardrobe of bold, botanical-print dresses and her obsession with (and talent for) turning plant-wary customers into bona fide green thumbs. Schutz uses a proprietary assessment system to pair indoor gardeners with the perfect species from hundreds of lush houseplants; detailed care cards ensure at-home success. Her sunny shop, which retains its original Saltillo-tile floors and floor-to-ceiling window wall, also displays a color- and texture-rich array of handmade planters and home decor from local and international makers, as well as fair-trade artisan cooperatives–many in the Latin American style Schutz favors. In summer, the inventory spills out onto the front patio and expands to include flower-filled baskets and indoor-outdoor pots, including vibrant Talavera ceramics.
BIRDSALL & CO., THE URBAN NURSERY
PHOTO: COURTESY BIRDSALL & CO.
Birdsall & Co., the Englewood garden shop long known for its massive inventory of estate-worthy planters, fountains and outdoor furniture, has taken on a new breed of gardener with the spring opening of its first outpost, The Urban Nursery. Located at the Backyard on Blake development in Denver’s RiNo neighborhood, the new shop caters to city dwellers who are working with balcony- or windowsill-size spaces via an on-trend collection of small-scale garden decor, home accessories, jewelry and gifts. This summer, look for Campania International’s sleek, freestanding Girona fountains, which are available in multiple sizes and a rainbow of finishes.
REROOT
PHOTO: COBURN HUFF
Located in RiNo’s Modern Nomad collective of design-forward local businesses, ReRoot specializes in tropical houseplants and species not often found in big-box stores. Throughout the urban jungle-style space, lush ferns, Marimo moss balls, bamboo, air plants and more are displayed atop concrete cinder blocks and tables, in the drawers of a vintage card catalog (above), and in an old glass showcase-turned-terrarium. Shop owner Paige Briscoe’s mission is to create a local “plant community,” and to that end, ReRoot offers classes, workshops, plant swaps and Denver’s first plant club. An assortment of crystals, tarot decks, candles and homemade flower smudge wands make unique gifts, and a stem bar–stocked with seasonal, fresh-cut flowers or dried blooms–offers everything customers need to build their own bouquets.
