Gardens hold a special spot in the hearts of many.
Tending the young shoots of flowers, vegetables,
and other plants, watching them grow, and,
eventually, bloom is akin to caring for children.
It takes patience, skill, and not just a little bit of love. And
of course it helps if you have the right tools. In addition
to these garden care essentials, Garden Gear & Gallery in
downtown Edmonds offers an impressive array of outdoor
accents to add color and a pop of personality to your
home’s fall landscape.
For the last twenty years, Garden Gear & Gallery
has outfitted local gardeners with everything they need
to nurture beautiful green spaces. Located just off “the
circle,” the cheerful store beckons shoppers with an
evershifting exterior display of seasonal plants and a
glorious profusion of colorful pinwheels and windsocks.
Inside, the green-thumbed expert and the gardening
novice alike will feel equally inspired among the trove of
tools, seeds, statuary, glass ornaments, and birding supplies.
Owners Don and Lili Hall, active gardeners with a passion
for plants, handpick the eclectic selection. “We try most of
the tools we sell ourselves,” said Lili, referring to the wide
variety of garden implements available in-store, including
Oxo trowels, cultivators and rakes among others, as well as
Felco pruners—a favorite among enthusiasts—which they
also clean and sharpen. The Halls stock many of the Japanese
hand tools coveted by avid gardeners, too, like the hori-hori
knife: a simple, yet amazingly effective, multitasker great for
weeding, planting, cultivating, and cutting.
One wall is devoted to a menagerie of stone animals,
stepping-stones, and fountains. Spiritual statuary and, of
course, the ubiquitous garden gnome round out the extensive
assortment. Overhead, wind-catchers in the shape of hot air
balloons complete with multicolored spiral tails that spin
lazily. Nearby a collection of bright and bold windsocks
emblazoned with flowers add to the colorful display.
“I love anything with color, motion, texture, and that
makes sounds,” said Lili of the store’s medley of merchandise,
citing the bright, flower-shaped spinners, peaceful
chimes and bells, as well as the popular glass art as some
of her favorite items.
Strategically displayed in the front windows, it’s easy to
see why the glowing spires and globes of glass atop slender
copper poles are so admired. Local company Bob Rice Glass
handcrafts the jewel-like creations that come in a rainbow of
colors and various visually appealing shapes, from twisting
“yucca leaves,” to fancifully fashioned finials, which are
reminiscent of autumn squash. There are also whimsical
glass pumpkins and mushrooms.
Lili’s penchant for color and the natural beauty of plants
and flowers extends to interior decor as well. As the weather
turns cooler, gardeners who long for the blooms of spring
and summer can content themselves with the riotous colors
of handmade, high-fired, decorative ceramic tiles picturing
butterflies, birds, blossoms, and cats, all in gorgeous,
saturated hues. The store also offers a selection of terrariums
and indoor plants to tend while exterior plants go dormant,
bringing a bit of life and greenery to even the rainiest months.
In addition to the emphasis on color and the upkeep of
plants and flowers, the Halls haven’t forgotten that gardens
are home to many other living things. An entire back room
is devoted to high-quality bird feeders and houses that are
especially important as the days grow shorter and food
sources become scarcer for our feathered friends.
It’s this consideration of the whole garden: the care
and keeping of its plants, its thoughtful ornamentation, the
ways in which elements of it can be brought inside, and a
concern for the creatures that call it home, that the Halls
have cultivated over their impressive twenty-year tenure at
Garden Gear & Gallery.
And the future looks bright. Lili says a new generation of
gardeners interested in the environment and its conservation
frequents the store. Making connections with these younger
customers while maintaining the strong relationships they’ve
made with longtime patrons is Lili’s favorite part of running
Garden Gear & Gallery. “I feel very blessed and grateful,”
she said.
Here’s to many more years of inspiring and outfitting
neighborhood gardeners so they can create their own outdoor
oases filled with color, movement, and life.
Garden Gear & Gallery
102 5th Ave. North, Edmonds
425.778.6112
garden-gear.com