Welcoming this year’s Small Business Summer Series with The Witches Garden & Gifts

I have driven by this old brick building off Hwy 47 in Landstad for years. It always intrigued me when it was an Antique store with oddities in the yard. When it became a specialty plant nursery I promised myself I would make the stop. Well, I finally found a late Sunday morning to wander among the greenhouses and painted garden chairs.

Having worked in landscaping for half a decade in my early 20’s I can relate to the behind the scenes feel of a working greenhouse. Tidy rows of newly potted trees contrast with those overwintered from last season’s stock.

There are signs of projects that were started and interrupted by something unexpected- perhaps a new shipment arrived or a change in weather meant quickly watering wilting plants or sheltering those outside from wind and hail.

There’s a comfort in the overturned wheel barrow, left where it was last used and where it will be needed again tomorrow.

All the plants were well cared for- the greenhouses in the back were full of favorites and some unusual selections that beckoned you to try them.

Signs provided more than size and care conditions, they gave holistic and beneficial health notes.

But more than anything I gravitated to the “back porch” feel of it all. That sense that you were rambling around in someone’s personal garden, among their suggestions of healing herbs and multi-use perennials.

It wasn’t until I had gathered my Cinderella pumpkins and a few other vegetables I wanted to try that I realized there was also a “front porch” to the garden- as in the “gifts” of The Witches Garden and Gifts.

An eclectic mix of vintage resale items and home made wares dotted the shelves of the interior of the building, in a space that was once the local general store.

And by “local”- I mean this old brick building was once the place within walking distance of area farms when you would have taken a break from your chores to head down a dusty road for an ice cream cone. Back in the day…

(I do love that there is always this fond summer memory of going to some old place for ice cream that spans the generations. The best old buildings have them.)

I was happy with everything I purchased- of course I could have bought more, but I try to be realistic about what I can plant in a weekend. We did pick up a Borage- which I had never heard of- because it sounded interesting.

“Mood elevation. Source of Omega 6. Added to wines, drinks and cordials since old times”

“Since old times…”

The Witches Garden and Gifts is definitely a working greenhouse and you might just feel a little like you are behind the scenes as you meander. But that’s what gives it its charm. You can tell when a place is more to the owners than just somewhere they work. It feels lived in and welcoming.

And it’s that homey feeling that will make you want to return.